Hyderabad: Jubilee Hills Police have arrested one Naresh, a contract-based data entry operator, who worked with former Health Minister Harish Rao’s office, in connection with allegedly cheating an innocent man by stealing his Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) cheques.

According to FIR registered in Jubilee Hills Police station, on 21 March 2024 at around 8 pm, police received a complaint from a farmer named Patloth Ravi Nayak (30), a resident of Peerla Thanda, Abenda, Medak. He stated that 10 years ago, he got married to Lalitha Bai, both of whom worked in the agriculture fields. 

In November 2022, while they were working in the field, a snake bit his wife, after which he immediately shifted her to a local Hospital in Sangareddy for treatment. He later shifted her to another private hospital in Ameerpet at Hyderabad for better treatment.

The complainant added that while undergoing treatment, his wife died on November 6, 2022, in the hospital where he spent about Rs 5 lakhs for treatment. 

Due to the huge expenses needed for his wife’s medical treatment, he applied for the CM Relief fund in January 2023. He was following the status of the CM Relief fund but he didn't get any response. The complainant approached the TS Secretariat and verified the status of the CMRF enquiry where he got to know that the CM Relief fund was sanctioned and cheques were issued for the amounts of Rs 50,000/- and Rs 37,500/- respectively. 

He learnt that the cheques would be handed over by Jogula Naresh Kumar, (contract-based data entry operator at former Health Minister's camp office who gives cheques to beneficiaries issued by the state government). 

He approached Naresh Kumar several times but the latter did not give a suitable response, Later he came to know that Naresh Kumar gave the cheques to Korlapati Vamshi and Balagoni Venkatesh Goud by taking a commission from them. He also came to know that Vamshi and Venkatesh identified a person whose name was also P Ravi Nayak. With the assistance of one Omkar, Vamshi and Venkatesh allegedly withdrew the two sanctioned cheques from SBI Bank at Jubilee Hills Branch.

Further, the complainant also stated that the accused had stolen the amount of several beneficiaries by encashing cheques without their knowledge.

Based on the contents of the complaint, police registered a case U/s 417, 419, 420, 120(b) r/w 34 IPC and Section 66(B) & 66(C) IT Act and launched an investigation.