13 October,2023 07:26 PM IST | Lucknow | PTI
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The Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force, acting on orders from the Prime Minister's Office, arrested three members of a gang for allegedly defrauding people by issuing fake tenders for the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme, an official said on Friday.
Santosh Semwal, the suspected gang leader, was arrested from Delhi on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday for defrauding people of crores by issuing fake tenders in the name of the deputy secretary of the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the Special Task Force (STF) official said.
The STF also arrested two other gang members -- Maya Tiwari from Prayagraj and Abhishek Tiwari from Jaunpur. Copies of forged ministry documents were seized from them.
The One Nation, One Ration Card scheme is implemented by the Centre under the National Food Security Act for nationwide portability of ration cards. The official said the Prime Minister's Office sent a letter to the STF in July, ordering action against the accused. The gang was allegedly issuing fake tenders for the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme in the name of the ministry deputy secretary.
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Investigations revealed that Semwal had issued the fake tenders and sent letters related to those from an email ID similar to that of the Prime Minister's Office. This way, he defrauded people of Rs 55 lakh, the sources said.
Semwal told STF officials that he came to Delhi for a job in 2018. During that time, he met Anuj Kumar, Maya Tiwari -- who claimed to be chief secretary in the Prime Minister's Office -- and Rakesh Aggarwal.
They introduced him to one Arun Rawat, who claimed to be a joint secretary in the Prime Minister's Office. Rawat told him about the e-ration card tender and claimed he could get Semwal the tender for a commission.
After this, Semwal, Abhishek Tiwari, Maya Tiwari, Rawat and one Brijesh defrauded people of crores by issuing fake tenders. Fake contract letters were prepared in the names of principal secretaries and secretaries of various central government ministries and sent on WhatsApp and email to the victims, the STF official said.
The STF has lodged a case against the accused under provisions of the Indian Penal Code at Sarai Khwaja police station of Jaunpur and investigations are underway. Efforts are on to nab the other members of the gang, the STF official said.
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