Shahjehanabad police have booked a civil contractor for duping 673 beneficiaries of Rs 80 lakh in the name of constructing toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
Police said beneficiaries of Fanda and residents of villages at Vidisha road were targeted by the accused Syed Shera Kabeer who is a civil contractor.
A complaint was lodged from Panchayat and Rural Development Department stating that the accused contractor was involved in the fraud by opening fake accounts in the name of the beneficiaries.
SHO Shahjehanabad Sanjay Bais said that Syed Shera Kabeer has been booked for duping around 673 beneficiaries by opening fake bank accounts.
The investigation has to be conducted as there are partially constructed toilets, few have been completed and some are not built which has been found in the initial investigation. Under the Swach Bharat Abhiyaan scheme the beneficiary is free to choose to select the contractor and the accused was assigned in constructing toilets under the scheme, he added.
Bais claimed that the Sarpanch and other officials of Panchayat have assigned the work to the contractor but they were not aware of the fraud. Details of the involvement of others in the fraud would be investigated.
The beneficiaries have not lodged complaint as many of them are still unaware of the fraud. There are around 673 beneficiaries who have opened bank account with bank of India. The police have registered a case under section 406, 420,487, 468, 471, 12 B of the IPC and 67 IT Act and further investigation has been started.