Raipur: A man from Chhattisgarh allegedly opened a bank account in the name of actress Sunny Leone to fraudulently receive Rs 1,000 per month under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana. The government scheme, introduced by the BJP, provides married women in the state with Rs 1,000 monthly.
A case has been registered against the man, identified as Virendra Joshi. Authorities responsible for verification of eligible beneficiaries of the scheme are also being identified.
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According to a report by The Indian Express, the scam came to light after the Mahatari Vandan Yojana website was scanned, filtering out details of a beneficiary registered with the name Sunny Leone. The fake account also mentioned American adult film performer and director, Johnny Sins as the husband.
The incident occurred in Talur village, located in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. Reportedly, the application was received at the Anganwadi level in the Talur sector. Joshi has received the beneficiary amount for ten months—from March to December.
District Collector Haris S instructed the Women and Child Development Department to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter, including the seizure of the fraudulent bank account for recovery of the funds.
Meanwhile, state Congress chief Deepak Baij accused the BJP government of having over 50% of the beneficiaries under the Mahtari Vandan Yojana as fake. He remarked, “If a proper investigation is conducted across the state, I think maybe a fake account in the name of Kareena Kapoor will also emerge.”
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The Congress leader held the BJP government and its politicians responsible for the scam.
Responding to the allegation, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao claimed that the Congress was upset because Chhattisgarh women were now receiving monthly financial assistance, something the Congress failed to provide during its previous tenure.
Notably, this isn’t the first time the actress’ name has cropped up in such fraud cases. In February this year, a false admit card for an Uttar Pradesh Constable Recruitment Exam under the name of Sunny Leone was issued. The former adult film performer’s name, albeit with a minor change, ‘Sunny Leon,’ with her photo intact.