Two booked for running fake website using Narendra Modi's name

The CBI on Friday said it has registered a case against two Uttar Pradesh-based private persons on the charge of running a fake website named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and collecting money from people for giving admissions in a fake organisation and selling its franchise.

Atul Kumar and Jagmohan Singh have been booked for criminal conspiracy, cheating and online fraud. They had started the fake website www.nmcsm.in (Narendra Modi Computer Shaksharta Mission) that claims to be an institute for courses in computer.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths also conducted searches at two places in Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh and recovered certain incriminating documents.

"The allegations pertain to the misuse of name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in order to cheat and defraud general public at large for giving franchise of Narendra Modi Computer Saksharta Mission (NMCSM)," CBI spokesperson R.K. Gaur said.

The agency had conducted a preliminary inquiry in the case on the complaint received from the Prime Minister's Office in 2016.

On the website, the accused showed their regional offices to be in Delhi, Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and Pune in Maharashtra.

Interestingly, the website mentions demand draft as the mode of payment instead of cash. The CBI said it is an online fraud and the aspect of acceptance of money by way of demand drafts needs to thoroughly probed.

The website claims to have been registered as an autonomous organisation under the Public Society and Trust Act. It also declared itself an ISO certified body.

--IANS

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