In Hyderabad, the Jubilee Hills police uncovered a scheme involving the theft of Rs 8,71,000 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF). Two men are now in custody for the fraud related to CMRF cheques meant for the poor.
The suspects are Jogula Naresh Kumar, a 42-year-old store owner, and Balagoni Venkatesh, a 37-year-old office worker in Nalgonda. Police are still looking for two others, including Korlapati Vamshi, a 24-year-old driver. The group reportedly conspired to take CMRF funds, cheating both the government and needy recipients.
The arrests happened on July 14. The Additional Inspector of Police in Jubilee Hills and his team caught Naresh and Venkatesh. They admitted to their crimes during questioning and were taken to court for remand on July 15.
The police found that these men are also involved in five other criminal cases at the Jubilee Hills police station under various laws.
R Madhusudhan, the Additional Inspector in Jubilee Hills, stated that Naresh, the main suspect, misused his position at a minister’s office. After the 2023 elections, Naresh illegally acquired 230 CMRF cheques that were issued but not distributed.
Madhusudhan explained that the accused identified 19 of these cheques from applicants who hadn’t pursued them. They deposited the cheques into SBI accounts at Road No 05 Jubilee Hills, using fake details and accounts with similar names.
