Ramgarh: Unidentified culprits have fraudulently withdrawn Rs 78 lakh from a government account using a cloned cheque and the fake signature of a block development officer (BDO) of the district. Police have begun a probe into the incident.
The withdrawal came to light when Bank of Baroda, Ramgarh branch, called BDO Annie Rinku on Wednesday to inquire about a cheque of Rs 18 lakh deposited to withdraw the amount.
Official sources said Rinku found out from the bank that an amount Rs 78 lakh had already been withdrawn recently. The BDO has already filed a written complaint to Ramgarh police over the fraudulent withdrawal.
Ramgarh SDO Kitthee Shree G (IAS) confirmed the incident and said, "Unidentified fraudsters cloned the cheque and made fake signatures of the BDO to withdraw Rs 78 lakh. The BDO has lodged an FIR.”
Officer-in-charge of Ramgarh police station Vidya Shankar said their investigations have found that the money was transferred in different instalments to Raipur in Chattishgarh and Begusarai in Bihar. “We are following the money trail to nab the culprits,” he added.