Rs.10.50 lakh worth CMRF cheques encashed in dubious manner; case in Jubilee Hills

HYDERABAD: The XVII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Nampally, Hyderabad, received a complaint over alleged irregularities in the disbursement of Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

According to information available, Patlot Ravi Naik, a 30-year-old farmer residing at Pirla Thanda, Abenda, Medak had incurred expenses to the tune of Rs. 5 lakh due to treatment of his wife at Balaji Hospital in Sangareddy and Wellness Hospital in Ameerpet, Hyderabad following a snake bite in November 2022. She died subsequently.

Seeking financial assistance, he applied to the CM Relief Fund in January 2023, but received no response despite following up on the status. Upon inquiry at the TS Secretariat, he discovered that two cheques amounting to Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 37,500 had been sanctioned from the CM Relief Fund in his name but were allegedly misappropriated.

The complaint alleged Jogula Naresh Kumar, a contract-based data entry operator at the former health minister's camp office, who allegedly issued cheques to beneficiaries on behalf of the state government. It was revealed that Naresh Kumar handed over the cheques to Vamsi, a car driver, and Balagoni Venkatesh Goud.

Further investigation uncovered that the sanctioned amounts were withdrawn without Ravi Naik's knowledge by individuals identified as Omkar, Vamsi, and Venkatesh from SBI on Road No.5, Jubilee Hills.

In fact, the police discovered that the embezzled amount by the accused together was Rs.10.50 lakh.

The police found out that over 200 cheques of CMRF were to be returned to the CMO and former Health Minister Harish Rao had instructed Naresh to do so. However, the accused realised 19 cheques through dubious means and burnt down the rest.

In response to the allegations, Inspector of Police K. Venkateshwar Reddy registered a case under various sections of the IPC and the IT Act, including Sections 417, 419, 420, 120(b) read with 34 IPC, and Section 66(B) and 66(C) of the IT Act.

Former minister and MLA Harish Rao's office denied the false propaganda regarding the mishandling of CMRF cheques and clarified that Naresh was a temporary computer operator in Harish Rao's office.

It is also clarified that Naresh was not the Personal Assistant (PA) of Harish Rao and had no direct association with the former minister after the office closure. The office had also filed a complaint against Naresh on 17-12-2023 at Narsinghi Police Station upon discovering the missing cheques.

Harish Rao's office vehemently denied any involvement in the incident and emphasised that the actions of one individual should not be attributed to the entire office. The office stated that it had a track record of assisting underprivileged individuals through various means beyond just CMRF cheques and urged the public and media to verify the facts before spreading misinformation and causing undue harm to their reputation. They also filed a complaint against the computer operator.