Gandhinagar: Revenue officials in Gujarat have flagged an alleged scam worth lakhs of rupees in the financial assistance scheme to the families of COVID-19 victims during the viral pandemic, sources said on Saturday. It is learnt that the families of at least 30 people who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic managed to get fake certificates falsely indicating the virus as the cause of death which made them eligible of the financial assistance announced by the then government in the state.
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It can be recalled that the then BJP government had announced an assistance of Rs 50,000 to the each of the families of those who died of Corona. Sources said that at least 30 families managed to avail the financial assistance through fake certificates in Dahegam area of Gandhinagar district. It is learnt that Naib Mamlatdar Kaushal Chaudhary of Dehgam has lodged a written complaint in this regard that the Mamlatdar office approved Rs 50,000 to the families of the deceased.
A similar complaint was lodged at Talod police station in January-February. Following the complaints, police launched an investigation into the alleged scam. The police investigation has revealed that the relatives of 30 deceased managed to avail the assistance by using fake signatures of the officials during the investigation of the last rites, Bharat Goyal PI, Dehgam Police Station said.
It is said that the certificates were purportedly issued from the office of Sanoda PHC Medical Officer Dr. Ankit Shah. The cross verification at Dahegam Mamlatdar office revealed that all these documents are false. Further investigation into the case is going on.
