MANGALURU: Six people from Dakshina Kannada district for attempting to swindle crores of rupees from the AP Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) using fake cheques.
Sources said the fraudsters created fake cheques resembling real ones and tried to deposit in the bank.
One of the accused had allegedly tried to deposit a Rs 52 crore cheque at State Bank of India in Moodbidri here.
The bank officials, who grew suspicious, contacted officials in Andhra Pradesh and learnt about the scam, following which the transaction was stopped.
A case in this connection was registered in September in Andhra Pradesh, based on a complaint filed by P Murali Krishna Rao, assistant secretary of the Revenue Department.
It is learnt that an attempt was made to siphon off Rs 117 crore from the AP CMRF using fake cheques.
The fraud had come to the fore while examining the cheques issued and money sanctioned.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had ordered a probe, after which it was found that a total sum of Rs 117 crore had been defrauded.
The ACB police are also investigating similar fraud attempts by using forged cheques in New Delhi and Kolkata, the sources said.