HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Task Force sleuths arrested two persons of an NGO for collection of money from donors on the pretext of assisting Covid-19 patients and subsequent diversion of the funds to their personal accounts. Police found that Rs 1 crore of funds were collected by the accused.
The arrested persons are Salman Khan, 29, President of the NGO Hyderabad Youth Courage (HYC), a resident of Humayun Nagar and Syed Ayub, 31, organiser of HYC and a resident of Borabanda.
According to the police, Khan formed the NGO along with his friends, and set up an office at Humayun Nagar.
“Recently, Hyderabad Youth Courage posted a video on Facebook, in which Salman appealed for donations. He said a Covid patient named Yasmeen Sultana was critically ill and needed money for her treatment. An account number, purportedly belonging to a woman named Asra Begum, their accomplice, was displayed and donors were asked to transfer money to the account,” a police official said.
Following Salman’s appeal, many donors deposited money totalling several lakhs into the account within three days. “Asra Begum transferred Rs 15 lakh into Salman’s account, and another Rs 15 lakh into the account of Rashid, a relative of Syed Ayub, and kept the remaining amount with herself. A complaint was lodged with Chandrayanagutta police.