Attempt to fraudulently avail Rupashree benefits in Kumarganj foiled

BALURGHAT: The district administration foiled an attempt to fraudulently avail financial assistance under the Rupashree scheme by concealing seven years of marriage.

The incident occurred in Kumarganj block, where a woman allegedly submitted a fake wedding card to claim the benefit. According to sources, Rukeya Begum of Sundarpur village, along with her father Rafiqul Mondal, submitted a wedding card mentioning her marriage to Khairul Molla of Sahabajpur on December 13, 2025. Acting on suspicion, a verification team from the Kumarganj block visited her residence a day earlier and uncovered the deception.

The inquiry revealed that Rukeya had married the same person seven years ago, and the couple has two children aged six and five. Her parents claimed they were unaware of the application. Rafiqul Mondal said his daughter had taken his signature on the pretext of urgent paperwork without disclosing its true purpose.

Following the incident, Rukeya’s parents are reportedly distressed, stating that they have been unable to contact their daughter since the block officials left. Her mother, Sanchur Nehar Bibi, expressed shock over the incident and fear of facing legal trouble.

Sribas Biswas (BDO) said several applicants wrongly assumed that verification may be lax amid the ongoing SIR process. “However, every application is thoroughly verified. This year alone, 15 such applications have been rejected,” he said. The administration has warned that stricter action will be taken against those submitting fraudulent applications in the future.