Gruha Lakshmi scheme: Man held for cheating applicants in Mysuru

MYSURU: A week after registrations for Karnataka govt’s Gruha Lakshmi scheme commenced, Mysuru city police arrested a person from a common service center (CSC) in Lokanayaka Nagar on the charges of cheating women by issuing a fake approval certificate in connection with the scheme.
The scheme aims to provide Rs 2,000 financial assistance to women heads of families every month.
The Metagalli police raided the shop following a complaint from Karnataka One Centre and arrested its owner. Later, a team from the district administration sealed the shop.
The accused, identified as Suresh Kumar, was making money by issuing fake approval letter printed on A-4 size paper with photos of the CM, DCM and Women and Child Welfare Minister along with the logo of the Karnataka government. Police have booked them for cheating and forgery.
A computer, a printer, and a smartphone have been recovered from him.
There is no provision under the scheme to issue any certificate to the applicant.
According to an officer, the arrested CSC owner had logged in using credentials of a Gram One centre and was uploading details of beneficiaries on the portals but later on his own created a fake certificate and gave it to the applicant as acknowledgement for a fee. He had issued one such certificate to an applicant and landed in trouble.
Commissioner of Police Ramesh Banoth said that Metagalli police acted quickly and arrested the accused soon after they received the complaint. So far, one person has been arrested in the case, he stated.
Deputy Commissioner KV Rajendra on Wednesday appealed to beneficiaries not to approach private centers other than notified centers to apply for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme.
In a release, the DC has informed the public that provisions have been made in Karnataka One, Gram-One, Bapuji Seva Kendra, ULB office, and its Zonal Commissioners' offices to receive applications.
Following the incident, a team of officers visited the centre in Lokanayaka Nagar and sealed the centre till further investigation, he stated.