A police constable allegedly involved in printing of fake receipt books for collection of fines from people violating lockdown norms was arrested by personnel of the Baidyanathpur police station in Odisha’s Berhampur on Saturday night.
The arrested police constable, Krushna Nayak, was posted on traffic duty. He was allegedly involved in printing of fake Red Cross donation books with receipts worth ₹200 and ₹500. The arrested constable had used a printing press at Aska in Ganjam district for printing of forged receipt books.
Ganjam district administration has provided receipt books of the Red Cross Society to police personnel and administrative officials for collection of fines from violators of lockdown norms. Ganjam district collector is the president of the district Red Cross Society, while the secretary of Berhampur Development Authority (BeDA) is its secretary.
Illegal printing
All police stations of the district have received these receipt books of the district Red Cross Society for collection of fines. It was alleged that the arrested constable had illegally taken away receipt book from a police station to hand it over to the press at Aska for printing of similar looking forged receipt books.
In the recent past, people had started complaining that fines were being collected unnecessarily in the name of lockdown violation through fake receipt books. Secretary of BeDA had registered a complaint at the Baidyanathpur police station regarding it. Investigation led to the arrest of the police constable.
