The CBI has booked two persons for allegedly conspiring to open the so-called regional office of Anti Corruption and Anti Crime Wing of India (ACAC Wing of India) in Chennai and showing former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha as its national president. The accused persons also forged letterheads of the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh.

The accused persons, identified as Reningston Sales and R.Vincent Raju, were also committing the fraud in the name of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

The duo has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine and forgery for cheating besides relevant provisions of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.

According to the FIR, a complaint was received through the Central Vigilance Commission portal and the matter was then taken up for enquiry after registration of a Preliminary Enquiry dated .

In the enquiry, it was revealed that during the year 2017-2018, Reningston Sales and R.Vincent Raju conspired together and opened a Zonal Office of the Anti Corruption and Anti Crime Wing of India (ACAC Wing of India) in Chennai. They purportedly showed an address in the national capital as their Head Office, which is found to be fictitious.

They also unauthorisedly showed former Chief Justice of India R.M.Lodha as National President of ACAC Wing of India. It is further revealed that in the pursuance of the criminal conspiracy to show that the ACAC Wing of India was a reputed organisation, they fraudulently and dishonestly printed the letterheads, rubber stamps, identity cards and visiting cards of the ACAC Wing of India by mentioning “Central Vigilance Commission Recognised” with the country’s National Emblem.

They also forged the letter purportedly issued by Minister for State Dr Jitendra Singh, PMO and Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Government of India, intimating all the Chief Secretaries of the state governments about the appointment of Lodha as the President of ACAC Wing of India, as per the FIR.

It is also revealed that the accused persons dishonestly used the forged letter purportedly issued by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind addressed to R.M.Lodha, congratulating him for accepting the position of National President of Anti Corruption and Anti Crime Wing of India.

They also used the forged certificate in the Anti Corruption and Anti Crime Wing of India including the registration marks purportedly issued by the Trade Marks Registry, Mumbai and a Certificate of Registration purportedly issued by the Inspector General of Registration in Tamil Nadu, according to the FIR.

It is also revealed that the accused persons fraudulently and dishonestly opened a Current Account in the name of Anti Corruption and Anti Crime Wing of India at the Indian Bank in Chennai by enclosing a forged Resolution using the name of R.M.Lodha as its President, forged Trade Marks Registration certificate. They also used forged Certificate of Registration and Aadhar Card in the name of ACAC Wing of India, reads the FIR.

Thereafter, they recruited the general public as Members and Office Bearers for ACAC Wing of India in lieu of the Membership fee by showing the aforesaid forged documents and making the people believe it to be a reputed organisation.

“In the pursuance of the same, they collected around Rs 25 lakh, ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per membership/officer bearer fees and deposited the same in the said Current Account. Subsequently, they fraudulently and dishonestly used the proceeds to the tune of Rs 10,75,044 for their personal use by withdrawing the same from the said bank account,” it said.

The current account bearing number 6643324261 was opened at an Indian Bank branch at Rangarajapuram, Chennai by enclosing a forged Resolution using the name of former CJI RM Lodha as President of ACAC Wing of India. A