CMRF Applicants Enquire About Status As Scam Surfaces
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Gadde Venkateshwar Rao said he became suspicious when he received no communication despite applying for CMRF assistance in 2023.
Nalgonda: In the wake of an illegal encashment case involving a Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) cheque, several people who applied for CMRF assistance but have not received their cheques even after more than two years queued up at the office of Kodad MLA to verify the status of their applications.
There are about 50 such applicants in the Kodad Assembly Constituency, raising suspicions of a possible scam. Following the incident, the private personal assistant of a former BRS MLA went incommunicado, fuelling doubts about his role in the matter.
It is learnt that a CMRF cheque worth ₹1.5 lakh, issued to Gadde Venkateshwar Rao of Srinivas Nagar in Kodad, was fraudulently encashed by one Gaddam Venkateshwar Rao of Jaggayyapet, Andhra Pradesh, by depositing it into his account at the Jaggayyapet branch of the State Bank of India (SBI). Acting on a complaint from the victim, Kodad Rural Police registered a case against the accused.
Following the incident coming to light, several applicants, who have been waiting for their CMRF cheques for over a year, grew suspicious and began verifying the status of their applications with the MLA’s office and concerned officials.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Gadde Venkateshwar Rao said he became suspicious when he received no communication despite applying for CMRF assistance in 2023. “For the past one-and-a-half years, applicants used to receive their cheques within two months. But in my case, there was no update,” he said.
He added that more than 10 people had called him stating they, too, had not received their cheques even after two years. During his morning walk, several others also told him they faced the same problem.
It is also learnt that three applicants from Dondapadu in Chinthalapalem mandal, Suryapet district, each entitled to ₹60,000 from CMRF, had their cheques fraudulently encashed by unknown persons. In total, the CMRF cheques of about 50 applicants in Kodad constituency may have been fraudulently encashed while they were waiting for financial assistance for over two years.
According to police sources, Kodad Rural Police have arrested four people from Jaggayyapet, including Gaddam Venkateshwar Rao, in connection with the fraudulent encashment of the cheque belonging to Gadde Venkateshwar Rao.
CMRF cheques are usually distributed to beneficiaries through the offices of MLAs, who sign and recommend the applications for financial assistance. How the fraudsters managed to obtain these cheques has become a key question in the investigation.
Police have also reportedly taken into custody the personal assistant of the former BRS MLA for questioning.
