Bollywood actress Sunny Leone dragged into Welfare Scheme scam: Fraudster pocketed Dh45 monthly
Political blame game has also erupted over fraudulent welfare scheme in Chhattisgarh
Dubai: A strange case of fraud has come to light in Chhattisgarh, where funds meant for married women under a government scheme were funneled into a fake account opened in the name of Bollywood actor Sunny Leone.
According to reports, the scheme introduced by the BJP government, provides ₹1,000 (Dh45) every month to married women in the state, but investigations have revealed that the accused, Virendra Joshi, allegedly created and operated the fake account to siphon off the funds.
The incident, reported from Talur village in Bastar, has raised concerns about the verification process for beneficiaries.
District collector Haris S has instructed the Women and Child Development Department to launch a detailed probe and recover the misappropriated funds by seizing the fraudulent account.
According to report in NDTV, officials became aware of the scam following media reports.
The fraud has also triggered a political blame game.
State Congress chief Deepak Baij accused the BJP government of negligence, claiming over 50% of the beneficiaries under the scheme are fake.
Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao dismissed the allegations, stating that the Congress is criticizing the program because it failed to provide similar assistance during its rule.
This revelation highlights significant gaps in the monitoring of welfare schemes and has raised questions about accountability among implementing authorities.