Police across KP book cash support programme fraudsters

PESHAWAR: Police have lodged cases against several people after complaints that gangs are active to rob the deserving people of cash support under Ehsas Programme.

“Four cases were registered against six accused in Peshawar, one each in Badaber, Inqilab, Khazana and East Cantt police station on the complaint of local authorities and assistant commissioners,” Zahoor Babar Afridi, the senior superintendent of police operations Peshawar told The News.

He added that three people were sent to the court while three others were fined on the spot by the magistrate. Cases were also lodged against many people in other districts. “Cases were lodged against six persons in Mansehra district for fraud in the cash fund. All the six accused were arrested. There was no complaint from other districts of Hazara,” regional police officer Hazara Qazi Jamilur Rehman told The News. He added police will ensure the transparent transfer of the cash fund to the poor families.

In Mardan, 22 accused were arrested for committing fraud in the cash fund for the deserving people.“We have lodged 10 cases and arrested 22 accused including government officials and retailers after complaints. They were charged under sections 409, 419 and 420 of Pakistan Penal Code,” said the district police officer Mardan Mohammad Sajjad Khan. He added that action was taken after complaints of wrongdoing against retailers as well as those distributing the cash support at official buildings. “We recovered a huge amount of money, laptops and phones from those arrested and charged,” said Sajjad. He added police is going to ensure the provision of all cash amount to everyone in a peaceful manner and no one involved in any fraud will be spared.According to Bannu DPO Yasir Afridi one the case was lodged at the Ghoriwala police station.

Some retailers in Peshawar and other districts, however, said there are few accounts where the receiver was sent Rs 11000 so they had no option but to give them the amount mentioned in the system. They said some of them were also arrested and false cases lodged against them.

“A false case was lodged against me despite I was distributing the money that was mentioned in the system. The officials, however, later admitted the fault after checking my phone and laptop and also promised the fine money will be reimbursed,” said a retailer who also showed the screenshot from his system mentioning the beneficiary can withdraw Rs 11000 only.