Fraudsters use cheques meant for pensions, cheat SDMC of Rs 88 lakh

New Delhi: The Delhi Police have now registered a case against unknown individuals for facilitating the embezzling of Rs 88 lakh from the SDMC's funds meant to be disbursed as pension amounts to the elderly and disabled.

According to police, the complaint was filed from the office of Assistant Commissioner (South Zone, Green Park). The complainant told police that during the scrutiny of bank account statements for the period of January 1 to January 31, 2020, maintained in a bank situated at Yusuf Sarai, it was noticed that three fraudulent withdrawals through fraud cheques of Rs 25 lakh on January 24, Rs 43 lakh on January 28 and Rs 20 lakh on January 30 were made. "The cheques with said amounts were never issued by SDMC in favour of anybody," the complainant told police.

As per the complainant, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation had been defrauded. "It was further noticed that the cheque book containing total 136 cheques was issued by the bank for the release of pension amount of Rs 3,000 to old age people, handicapped," the complainant said.

According to the official, each of these 136 cheques as obtained had the printed details (name of the payee, amount) and even the digital signature of DDO who is Assistant Commissioner (South Zone).

As per records, printed details in cheques of the cheque book were in favour of one Radhika, one Chandbai and one Sumitra. After noticing the fraudulent withdrawals, a letter was written to branch manager of the bank with the request to immediately stop the transaction of the account number till any further request, to investigate the matter and to recover fraudulently withdrawn money from the SDMC account. After the inquiry of the complaint, Delhi Police has now registered a case under sections 420,467,468,471 and 120 B.