ACB arrests man in Shaadi fraud
ACB officials on Tuesday arrested Aijazullah Khan, assistant of minor welfare department employee Mohammed Taheruddin, for allegedly assisting him in the Shaadi Mubarak fund scam.
Taheruddin was arrested for siphoning off Shaadi Mubarak funds by processing fake applications and approving funds to ineligible beneficiaries.
Aijazullah, who runs a mobile store, procured identity papers and after forging them forwarded the applications.
Ranga Reddy ACB DSP J. Prabhakar said Aijazullah, 29, of Saroornagar, was working as an agent of Taheruddin, who was arrested by the ACB on April 1. Aijazullah came in contact with Taher-uddin when he applied for the Shaadi Mubarak scheme for his sister-in-law. “While processing the application, Taheruddin visited Aijazullah’s sister-in-law’s house and took `3,000 as bribe. After the `51,000 was sanctioned, he took another `5,000 as bribe,” Mr Prabhakar said.
Later they became acquaintances and Taheruddin entrusted the job of verifying applications from Saroornagar and Rajendranagar mandals to Aijazullah and through him collected bribes from applicants.
“He gave around 100 applications to Aijazullah for verification and paid him `500 for each,” Mr Prabhakar added.
Taheruddin also told Aijazullah to create fake applications to get more money. “Aijazullah collects copy of Aadhaar card of women, creates ID proof of the groom, opens a bank account in the bride’s name, prints fake wedding card and forges the nikhanama also. Taheruddin paid him up to `20,000 after sanctioning the benefit in each fake application,” Mr Prabhakar said.
The irregularities came to light when the ACB officials started checking applications which were already processed randomly. During inquiry, it came out that Taheruddin has sanctioned money to one Shahana Begum of Saroornagar. She was married in 2013 and even had a kid and was not even aware of the scheme. She did not get the money, although it was sanctioned to her.
Aijazullah was produced before court and remanded to judicial custody. Officials also seized documents from him.