BELAGAVI, 13 AUG

A man has been accused of duping at least 15 people – mostly women – by promising them government jobs in the Women and Child Development. The accused, Manjunath Malasarj, allegedly forged the signatures of the department’s minister, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, and State Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

Hebbalkar had brought the matter to the attention of Belagavi Superintendent of Police Bhimashankar Guled after receiving the fake appointment letter. 

Guled noted that there were two other complaints against Malasaj.

The accused, Guled, said, has collected cash of more than Rs 36 lakh from the scam. 

"Apart from forging signatures of the minister and the Governor, the accused made duplicate rubber stamps for the fake appointment letters," Guled said, adding that most of the cheated were given appointment letters to jobs in the Belagavi office.

"I have given the fake appointment letters to SP and asked them to probe the case," Hebbalkar said.