KOZHIKODE: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has decided to launch a probe against the management of Mukkam Muslim Orphanage (MMO) on the basis of report submitted by the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Chief Investigation Officer (CIO) that the committee had ‘committed a cognisable offence by fraudulently misappropriating government money in collusion with Social Justice Department officers’.
In the special report submitted to VACB director DGP Vinson M Paul regarding the irregularities noticed in sanctioning the government grant-in-aid to orphanages, SHRC CIO DIG S Sreejith, suggested to ‘take appropriate action under Sections 468 (Forgery for Purpose of Cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 477 (A)(Falsification of accounts with intent to defraud) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of IPC and 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act.
DIG S Sreejith, in his report, maintained that the ‘’cognisable offence is being reported to the VACB as it is beyond the purview of the SHRC to act upon the case by registering an FIR.’
When contacted, a senior officer with the VACB told ‘Express’: ‘VACB received the report from DIG S Sreejith on misappropriation of government funds by the Mukkam Muslim Orphanage (MMO) and appropriate criminal proceedings will be taken in this regard.’’
‘Express’, in a series of investigative articles published in June 2014, exposed that orphanage managements in Kerala had fraudulently obtained government grant-in-aid by concealing financial aid from foreign sources. As per law, it is mandatory for the orphanage management to furnish details of financial assistance from foreign sources received by the institution or its parent body or affiliated bodies while applying for grant-in-aid.
The investigation by ‘Express’ has already exposed that majority of orphanages in the state, especially those in North Kerala, have given false undertaking that they are not in receipt of any foreign aid.
Conforming the reports by Express, DIG Sreejith’s report noted that the MMO management has fraudulently received grant-in-aid in 2011-12 and 2012-13 from the State Government by claiming that it was not in receipt of any foreign contributions.
The orphanage submitted a FC-6 return to the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) Wing of Foreigners Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs that it had received a sum of `8,00,783 for the ‘welfare of the orphans’ from a donor named Red Crescent, which is based in UAE, in the 2012-13 fiscal. While, it claimed a grant-in-aid of `28,55,470 from the State Government by giving a false certificate that the ‘institution had not received any financial assistance from foreign sources. The report further added that ‘the practise has been ongoing over the years.’
Sreejith’s report found that the orphanage management was able to commit the offence as the Social Justice Department officials failed to exercise their duty.
‘Hence, it has to be concluded that this is a cognisable offence committed by the orphanage authorities in collusion with the SJD officers who are supposed to inspect and clear the records submitted, for grant-in-aid from the government.’