Assam: Man arrested for attempting to withdraw Rs 50 lakh from CM’s Relief Fund

Guwahati, June 29: The Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell averted a crime involving a fraudster allegedly attempting to withdraw Rs. 50 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund by forging Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s signature.

One Rakesh Singh (aged 32), who originally hails from Arrah in Bihar, was arrested by the vigilance cell from Kolkata on charges of allegedly attempting to withdraw money from the relief fund through different cheques by forging the chief minister’s signature.

Sources informed that a team of the CM's Vigilance Cell, led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Rosie Kalita, arrested Singh from his rented accommodation at New Alipore in Kolkata.

Following his arrest, a court in Kolkata granted a three-day transit remand to the accused on Thursday, allowing the vigilance cell to take him to Guwahati for further investigation.

The vigilance cell lodged a case against the accused under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC related to cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune, SP Rosie Kalita informed, “The accused attempted to withdraw the money from the CM’s Relief Fund by forging signature; however, we managed to arrest him before he could make such an attempt."