In a bizarre case, the state government has announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh on one of the accused in the Bike Boat scam who is already in jail for the last 38 days.
Interestingly, the accused was arrested for the same crime in which the government has announced a reward on his arrest.
According to information, last Thursday, the state government had announced rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on four accused, Deepti Behl, Lokendra Singh, Bhudev and Vijender Singh Hooda, all allegedly wanted in the Bike Boat scam.
The cash reward of the arrest of these accused was announced by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi.
Sources said that one of these accused, Lokendra Singh, a native of Bulandshahr, was already arrested by the sleuths of the Special Task Force from Mathura on January 27 last.
The government officials, however, said that on the basis of the letter sent by the director general (DG) of Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) on January 24, the reward on the accused had been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.
The STF had arrested Lokendra on January 27, but it was not reported to the government by the officials of the EOW hence the cash reward on the above accused was also increased along with others who are on the wanted list.
Director General of Economic Offenses Wing, Raj Kumar Vishwakarma, later disclosed to the media that a proposal to increase the reward from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh on the four accused in the bike boat scam was sent to the government on January 24.
The Noida unit of the STF had arrested Lokendra on January 27.
He claimed that now a letter would be sent to the government regarding the cancellation of the enhanced reward on Lokendra.