A man in Chhattisgarh allegedly opened an account in the name of actress Sunny Leone in a scheme to defraud married women in Chhattisgarh. Virendra Joshi was accused of collecting Rs 1,000 monthly deposits meant for beneficiaries of the Mahtari Vandan Yojana. The scheme, implemented by the BJP government, provides Rs 1,000 every month to married women in the state. The scam was discovered in Tharoor village of Bastar district.
District Collector Haris S has ordered an inquiry and seizure of the bank account. Officials said media reports exposed the fraud.
The incident triggered a political conflict between the ruling People’s Party and the opposition Congress Party. State Congress chief Deepak Baij claimed, “More than 50 per cent beneficiaries under Mahtari Vandan Yojana are fake.”
Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said the Congress was upset as women were now getting assistance that they had not received during the previous term of the Congress. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said it would conduct a thorough investigation and officials involved in verification of beneficiaries were in the process of being identified.