Hyderabad: Ex-director of Administrative Staff College of India held for fraud

The Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) officials arrested Dr. B.Lakshmi alias Bhagya Lakshmi (63), a former  Director in Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) on charges of siphoning funds of nearly Rs 88 lakh using fake invoices.

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) officials arrested Dr. B.Lakshmi alias Bhagya Lakshmi (63), a former  Director in Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) on charges of siphoning funds of nearly Rs 88 lakh using fake invoices.

Earlier, based on the complaint from ASCI Administrative Officer B. Jagadesh Kumar, the CCS police had booked a case against her for forgery, cheating and criminal breach of trust.

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According to the CCS officials, Laxmi, who worked as adjunct professor, was subsequently appointed as a director, after her retirement. During her tenure between the years 2021 to 2024, she allegedly used her powers to avail support services for training programmes and projects to produce fake invoices.

“She was conducting training programmes and projects. Accordingly, she was authorised to appoint support services agencies or vendors on need-based competency criteria. However, it was noticed that some of her vendor activities were suspicious,” police said adding that the fraud came to light during an internal enquiry.

Though an internal committee for their KYC or vendor verification summoned consultants and vendors, they failed to turn up. They received payments without providing any services to ASCI. They allegedly have cheated ASCI by providing false experience certificates in conspiracy with director Laxmi.

Efforts were on to nab other suspects including Sheik Abhisheik Imlak, B Shruthi, M Burraiah, M Lakshmi Dhana and Rajini Nalamasa.