Hyderabad: Jubilee Hills Police arrested seven people for embezzling ₹8.71 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) by posing as fake medical beneficiaries. The accused used forged documents to deposit sanctioned cheques into their personal bank accounts and withdrew the money. Their actions denied legitimate applicants access to critical financial support.
The arrested individuals are Potla Ravi (46), Janagama Nagaraju (40), Mateti Bhasker (33), Dharmaram Raju (50), Kampalli Santhosh (35), Chityala Laxmi (65), and Asampelli Laxmi. All are from Godavarikhani in Karimnagar district. Police presented them before a magistrate and secured judicial custody.
Forged identities, fake medical records used
The CMRF supports patients needing urgent healthcare. Investigators revealed that the accused submitted forged Aadhaar cards and fake hospital records to impersonate real beneficiaries. They then cashed the relief cheques issued by the government.
Police filed cases under IPC Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 417 (cheating), 419 (impersonation), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), and Section 66(C) of the IT Act.
This is the second round of arrests. On July 15, police detained four others linked to the same scam. Investigators believe the group exploited undistributed CMRF cheques using forged identities.
Authorities are now working to recover the stolen funds and track down absconding suspects. Officials have also started reviewing the cheque distribution process to identify any system loopholes.
Police suspect insider involvement and are stepping up surveillance in government offices that handle relief fund processing.
