2cr ghost toilet scam unearthed in Ankleshwar
A retired schoolteacher, Pravin Modi, reported the scam after getting information through a Right To Information (RTI) application.
It appears that documents submitted to get marriage certificates from the Ankleshwar municipality were used to apply for allocation of funds for toilets. Modi says five agencies and govt officials are likely involved in the scam.
Modi told TOI: "I got information that 'ghost' toilets were made in 2014-2015, to siphon of funds from the Gujarat Municipal Finance Board and from other govt schemes.
I asked the Ankleshwar municipality for details via RTI a couple of months ago. I was shocked to find that people who own big houses and bungalows in Ankleshwar were shown to have received assistance for building toilets. When I contacted them, they said they never applied for the assistance.
"
The information given by the municipality shows that Anand Kadi Gramodhyog Trust, Navchetna Vikas Trust, Kamdar Kalyan Mandal, Mahatma Gandhi Gramnirman Trust and Vasundhara Sarvajanik Trust had built 1,906 toilets in houses.
It seemed many of these toilets were never built. I will file a complaint with the CM, collector, DSP and vigilance department, people's documents were stolen to perpetrate this scam."
Nirav and Krima Hazariwala, who live in an Ankleshwar society, married in 2011. Nirav said: "We submitted our Aadhaar cards for our marriage certificate in 2012. They were misused to apply for toilets. We live in Vatsalya Society, which has 30 bungalows.
This scam damaged our reputation as people would think we applied for govt funds. The govt and police should take action against those who stole our documents."
Another couple, Forum Patel and Roma Patel, were allotted funds for two toilets against their Aadhaar cards. "If Aadhaar cards are misused in this way, how can we trust govt offices? Strict punishment must be given to the scamsters," said Forum Patel, who lives in a bungalow in a posh Ankleshwar society.
Romin Chharel, who lives in the Church area of Ankleshwar, told TOI: "They used my and my wife's Aadhaar cards, which were submitted for our marriage certificate in 2014. We discovered the misuse after 10 years. We suspect that the cards have been used elsewhere too. Police must investigate and hold those responsible accountable."
Funds for a toilet were also disbursed in the name of Fazal Wadia's sister, who has been living outside Ankleshwar after her wedding.
"My sister applied for a marriage certificate as she married in Ankleshwar. Even though she no longer lives there, a toilet was allotted in her name," Fazal said.
Of the 1,906 toilets funded on the list, many are showing as having been allocated to two different families of different religions. "How can families of different religions live in the same house or building? This scam seems substantial based on its allotments," Modi said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Six held in Bengaluru for extorting Rs 2 lakh from techie in honeytrap
Bengaluru: A gang of six, including a woman, was arrested by Yelahanka police for allegedly extorting Rs 2 lakh from a techie in a honeytrap case recently. She befriended him on a dating app. The arrested are identified as Sangeeta Sahni, 36, a resident of JP Nagar; Sharanabasappa Baliger, 50; Raju Maane, 34; Shyam Sundar, 20; Abhishek, 19; and Beerbal Majjagi, 21. According to deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Sajeeth VJ, private firm employee Rakesh Reddy filed a complaint with Yelahanka police, stating that the woman befriended him on Bumble on July 17 and later, they met in a mall opposite Yelahanka police station. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru She took him to a house in Ramagondanahalli where they drank alcohol, the complaint said. While they were partying, a group of four people entered the house and accused them of using drugs. They took out a packet of white powder, which they claimed was MDMA, from her bag. The gang told Rakesh that they would get him arrested for drug peddling and extorted Rs 2 lakh from him online. Police, who received the complaint, collected the account number of the accused to which the money was transferred. With the help of the call details record (CDR) and CCTV cameras in the surrounding places, they nabbed the gang. Police found it was a trap laid for Rakesh. Sharanabasappa was allegedly involved in a similar honeytrap case registered at Puttenahalli police station in the south division of Bengaluru in 2023. After coming out of prison, he teamed up with the other accused persons who worked as painters and plumbers, the investigation revealed. Sangeeta, a native of Uttar Pradesh, had earlier worked in a dance bar. The house in Ramagondanahalli was rented by the accused to honeytrap people. Sharanabasappa, Raju, and Shyam have been taken into police custody, while Sangeeta and two others have been remanded in judicial custody. A senior officer said the gang trapped a few others and extorted money, but they have not filed complaints. The victims are being contacted for their statements. During the investigation, police found that the white powder found in Sangeeta's bag was not MDMA; instead, it was baking soda. MSID:: 122956676 413 |
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
From teens to seniors: Fraudsters customize scams by age in AP
Visakhapatnam: Cybercrooks in Andhra Pradesh are turning increasingly tech-savvy, tailoring scams to match the age and vulnerabilities of their targets, according to the state's cybercrime police. Each age group is susceptible to distinct cyber financial frauds, enabling scammers to siphon off lakhs to crores from unsuspecting victims. Youngsters aged 20–25, particularly students and unemployed youth, are being lured with fake online and overseas job offers promising attractive pay, flexible hours, and career growth. Fraudsters share links to bogus portals, tricking victims into divulging personal information or making advance payments. Inspector of cybercrime police station, Vizag, K Bhavani Prasad said working professional between 30 and 45 years fall prey to investment scams. With aspirations to grow their income, individuals are often targeted with fraudulent stock market tips, crypto investment traps, and high-return promises. Scams promising easy profits are particularly aimed at those seeking financial advancement, with many receiving misleading messages and advertisements. Regulatory bodies have repeatedly cautioned investors to remain vigilant, but the prevalence of such fraudulent schemes continues to rise, causing significant losses and distrust among the public, he added. On average, more than 300 cybercrimes are being reported each month in Andhra Pradesh. Among various types of cybercrimes, victims are suffering significant financial losses, with amounts ranging from Rs10 lakh to Rs one crore in each reported case of investment fraud. Notably, it has come to light that some high-profile individuals who have fallen prey to investment frauds are choosing not to lodge complaints, often due to feelings of embarrassment, said a senior police officer. Senior citizens aged 60 to 70 are increasingly falling prey to digital arrest scams. Fraudsters, masquerading as government or law enforcement officials (CBI, ED, Customs and others), are contacting victims, levelling accusations of serious crimes and subsequently extorting money on the pretext of helping them avoid legal trouble. Cities like Vizag, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Kurnool cities in the state contribute around 40 to 50 per cent of Andhra Pradesh's cybercrime cases. "Despite a decrease in physical crimes like thefts, robbery and assault, white-collar cybercrime is on the rise in the state and the cybercrooks have been coming up with new means of duping people to the tune of crores" . "We're focusing on advanced technological tools to curb such offenses," a senior police offier said.
Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
After Mamata posts ‘torture' of Malda woman by cops, Delhi Police questions her, says no proof of her claims
Hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted a video of a woman and her one-year-old child on her X handle, alleging that police beat up a migrant family from Malda's Chanchal area in BJP-ruled Delhi, police rejected the charge, claiming it was a concocted story 'that fell apart' after the woman was questioned. The family of Sajnur Bibi, the woman said to be in the video, however, stuck with their allegations against the Delhi Police. Bibi had claimed that policemen in plainclothes had come to her house in East Delhi's Geeta Colony at 11 am on July 26 (Saturday) and took her into custody despite taking her documents the day before. While in custody, she claimed, she and her one-and-a-half year-old son were beaten and she was forced to pay Rs 25,000. According to Bibi, the policemen took her to a park behind K R Mangalam Hospital where they subjected her to physical assault and extortion. Speaking to The Indian Express, Bibi's husband Mukhtar Khan said: 'I had gone out for work and my wife was cooking lunch (on Saturday). When I returned, she was nowhere to be seen. When I called her, she told me she had gone out to buy vegetables… After some time, I got a call from an unknown number… My wife had called me from someone else's phone and told me to come and get her because she had lost her way. When I went to pick her up from the park, I saw my child had bruises on his ear and forehead… She told me later what had happened,' said Khan. According to Khan, the police had come to their house a day before as well to verify whether the family were illegal immigrants. 'They took one look at our Aadhaar cards and told us that we're Bangladeshi… After that we kept getting calls from unknown numbers telling us that if we try to run away, we will be in trouble,' alleged Khan. Khan claimed that the calls frightened them, prompting him to make arrangements to leave for home in Malda. However, before they could leave for the railway station on Sunday, the police rounded them up and brought them to Madhu Vihar police station for questioning. The Delhi Police, however, said that the family was called for questioning on Sunday after the West Bengal chief minister posted a video on her X handle. 'We brought them in after we saw the social media post by the West Bengal chief minister. We had to verify their version of events since no one in the police station was aware of any verification drive being conducted in the area,' a Delhi Police officer said. 'We examined the CCTV footage along the entire route that the woman (Sajnur Bibi) said she was taken by the policemen. In the footage, she can be seen walking alone with her children… In fact, we even lined up all the police personnel in front of her and asked her to identify to us who had detained her and hit her child, but we got no answers,' DCP (East) Abhishek Dhania told The Indian Express. 'When we questioned both the husband and wife, they told us that she had actually lost her way back home. They later concocted the story after the husband's uncle – who is a political worker in TMC – told them to,' added the DCP. According to the police, the couple's Call Detail Record (CDR), too, didn't reveal any threats or extortion calls being made by anyone. Meanwhile, the chairman of West Bengal Migrant Labourer Welfare Board, Samirul Islam, claimed that the Delhi Police detained the family again to pressure them. 'This is nothing less than terror on migrants from West Bengal. Now, a child is also not spared. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee highlighted the plight of the mother and child detained by Delhi Police. Hours later, the family was again picked up by Delhi Police. They must be forcing them to deny the incident. This cannot be tolerated,' said Islam, a Rajya Sabha member of the TMC. According to relatives, Sajnur Bibi is a mother of three children and works as a caretaker in a public toilet along with her husband in the Pandavnagar area of Delhi. According to the woman's father -in-law, the family has been staying in Delhi for the past six years and hails from Malda. Meanwhile, relatives of the family in Chanchal, in West Bengal's Malda district, lodged a complaint with the local police on Sunday night. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
