Two fraudsters have been chargesheeted by the CBI for allegedly collecting ₹25 lakh as fees from people for making them members of a fake anti-graft body established on forged documents in Chennai.
Interestingly, to make the organisation appear genuine, the accused including Vincent Raju, generated a fake letter of former President Ram Nath Kovid on May 11, 2018, purportedly congratulating former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha for becoming president of Corruption and Anti-Crime Wing of India, with its headquarters at Lokayoktha Building, Paharaganj, New Delhi.
Lokayukta word was used by the tricksters in their Delhi address to lend legitimacy to their con job since it’s the highest anti-corruption organisation was established by an act of parliament. Similarly, they also created letterheads, rubber stamps, identity cards and visiting cards of ACAC wing of India by falsely claiming ‘Central Vigilance Commission recognised’ with national emblem printed on them.
The CBI accused Raju of using his Chennai-based Reningston Sales for opening a zonal office of Anti-Corruption and Anti-Crime (ACAC) Wing of India at the capital of Tamil Nadu. Raju to fortify the conspiracy of deceit took another step of forging a letter in the name of Union Minister of State for Personnel and Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, for intimating all chief secretaries of states about the so-called appointment of Justice Lodha (retired) as the ACAC president, the CBI alleged in its charge sheet.
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The accused used the cover of the fake organisation to collect ₹25 lakh as membership fees in a Indian Bank account in Chennai from gullible people by recruiting them as office-bearers, the CBI alleged. Later, over ₹10 lakh was withdrawn from the bank account, which proved “they were beneficiary” of the proceeds of crime, the charge sheet alleged.
Sales, the CBI alleged, created an email id rmloadha.justice@gmail.com and configured it with a mobile number and printed them on visiting cards which was found from his possession, to make it appear that Justice Lodha was genuinely their president. The sleuths recovered multiple emails exchanged using former CJI’s name during a search at the residence of Raju, which he was also using as the regional office of ACAC, the CBI stated.
The CBI chargesheet also said during search at Sales’ house, the officials found various incriminating documents, including appointment letters, resolutions, bank account opening forms, copies of Letters of MoS, PMO and Personnel, trade marks certificate, CVC pledge along with ₹ six lakh cash, the agency said in the charge sheet.