The District Crime Branch police in Namakkal on Wednesday registered a case against former AIADMK Minister for Social Welfare and Nutritious Noon Meal Programme V. Saroja for cheating job aspirants. She has been booked for receiving ₹76.5 lakh from a couple on behalf of 15 aspirants who were promised employment in anganwadis but were not given appointment letters.
In their complaint, the couple from Rasipuram said they were close relatives of the former Minister. They said she assured the aspirants of jobs in the department for money.
The couple said they collected money from 15 job aspirants and handed over ₹50 lakh to the Minister. With this money, she bought a house, they said. Later, the couple handed over ₹26.5 lakh, as a second instalment, to her. However, the aspirants did not receive employment offers. Stating that the aspirants were planning to lodge complaints against them, the couple, in their complaint, sought the registering of a cheating case against Ms. Saroja.
The complaint was forwarded to the District Crime Branch police, who, after an investigation, registered a case under section 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
Ms. Saroja was a Minister from 2016 to 2021.
