HYDERABAD: Jubilee Hills police have arrested two men for misappropriating Rs 8.71 lakh sanctioned under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF). The accused, Jogula Naresh Kumar (42) and Balagoni Venkatesh (37), an office subordinate at the MPDO office in Nalgonda, diverted funds meant for financially distressed beneficiaries. Three others — Korlapati Vamshi (24), Pulipaka Omkar (34) and another accomplice — are absconding.
Police said prime accused Naresh Kumar retained 230 sanctioned but unissued CMRF cheques after his tenure at a minister’s office ended following the 2023 elections. The gang targeted 19 cheques belonging to applicants who had not followed up on their claims.
Using forged documents, they opened bank accounts in names resembling those of the original beneficiaries and deposited the cheques at an SBI branch on Road No. 5, Jubilee Hills. The siphoned amount was shared among the conspirators.
Police arrested Naresh and Venkatesh on July 14. Both confessed during interrogation and were sent to judicial custody on Tuesday. Efforts to trace the remaining suspects are underway.