5 held in UP for forging Assam CM's signature to withdraw money from relief fund

Assam Police arrested five people from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly forging the signature of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and withdrawing money from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The five accused, who were taken into custody from Gorakhpur and Basti areas of Uttar Pradesh, were brought to Guwahati, police said here on Monday.

The Chief Minister's Office had detected certain anomalies regarding transactions in the Relief Fund and the CM's Special Vigilance Cell was directed to investigate the matter and solve it within 15 days.

Superintendent of Police of the Cell, Rosie Kalita, filed an FIR on August 12 following investigations that revealed fraudulent withdrawal of money by cheques in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Seven police personnel of the Cell raided some areas in Gorakhpur and Basti and apprehended five people, said Kalita who led the team.

The police claimed that during interrogation, the arrested men said that they have earlier withdrawn money in the same way from other states also.

Kalita said that the administration in Uttar Pradesh extended full support to the team.

The government money fraudulently withdrawn was returned by the nationalized bank concerned, she added.