BJP leader Muralidhar Rao booked for allegedly cheating, forging Sitharaman’s signature
Hyderabad: An FIR was filed against BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao and eight others for allegedly cheating a man here of Rs 2.17 crore by promising him a nominated post in the central government, police said Wednesday.
However, Muralidhar Rao refuted the allegations and said he has nothing to do with the case.
Based on a court-referred complaint lodged by the man's wife, a case was registered Tuesday against Muralidhar Rao and eight others on charges of cheating, forgery, criminal intimidation and other relevant IPC sections, they said.
The complainant alleged that she and her husband were induced by Muralidhar Rao and others by showing a purported letter with forged signature of Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
She alleged they took Rs 2.17 crore after promising that her husband would be appointed chairperson of Pharma Exil, police said.
Denying the allegations, Muralidhar Rao in a series of tweets said, "Regarding the FIR filed - have nothing to do with the present dispute. The FIR involving me reportedly is sequel to a private complaint in a court by those who actually are facing criminal charges in the same matter."
"The timing of the private complaint which has no base is mischievous to say the least. Hope police will act quickly to nail the lies. My lawyers will initiate appropriate steps to bring the culprits to justice," he said in another tweet.
In November 2015, Eswar Reddy, who claimed to be closely associated with prominent personalities in the BJP, approached the woman and her husband.
Eswar Reddy had said he knew one A Krishna Kishore, the "shadow" of Muralidhar Rao, who was capable of getting a nominated post in any department of the central government, the woman said in her complaint.
The complainant said she and her husband were reluctant to acquire the post by spending a huge amount.
"Later, Eswar Reddy and others again approached us and put pressure on us to accept their proposal by making false promises that they would be able to procure a nominated membership of Pharma Exil which functions under the control of Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India," the complainant alleged.
She also alleged that Eswar Reddy and others with the active connivance of Muralidhar Rao showed a photocopy of an appointment letter of her husband as chairperson of Pharma Exil, which was purportedly signed by Nirmala Sitharaman, and took Rs 2.17 crore for the post.
When the complainant and her husband approached Eswar Reddy and others over the appointment they dragged the matter and when they sought return of the money there was no response, police said based on the complaint.
The woman alleged that Muralidhar Rao also started to threaten them.
Reacting to the FIR, BJP Telangana chief spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao in a statement said, "The frivolous FIR filed against our National General Secretary Muralidhar Rao by few detractors is with a clear motive to tarnish his image and the party's."
Muralidhar Rao's lawyers will take appropriate legal action, he said, adding that "we are very certain that our leader has done no wrong".
The BJP also warned of dire legal consequences if anyone conspired against the party.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
