Man uses MP’s letter to fake Sigachi victim’s identity, seek ex gratia

The man approached the help desk at Pashamylaram industrial area, demanding that the name ‘Manohar Reddy’ be added to the list of those who died in the June 30 accident. Staff cross-checked the list and found no record of such a person

Sangareddy: In a shocking development, a man attempted to include a fake name in the list of deceased victims of the Sigachi Industries Limited accident using a Telangana MP’s recommendation letter, allegedly to fraudulently claim the Rs 1-crore ex gratia announced by the company.

The man approached the help desk at the Pashamylaram industrial area, demanding that the name ‘Manohar Reddy’ be added to the list of those who died in the June 30 mishap. However, staff cross-checked the list of 143 employees who were on duty that day and found no record of such a person.

---

Growing suspicious, the officials questioned the man further, at which point he abruptly left with the letter, claiming he would return with more evidence.

In another incident, a woman who had separated from her husband 12 years ago, turned up at the accident site after learning that her estranged husband had succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment. She requested officials to register herself and her children as legal beneficiaries.

Following multiple such incidents, Sangareddy district officials have decided to implement a structured verification process to ensure the Rs 1 crore compensation reaches only the rightful next of kin.

Given that many of the deceased and injured were employed through agents, officials suspect that some middlemen might demand a cut from grieving families to facilitate the ex gratia process. To eliminate such exploitation, the Sigachi management will transfer the ex gratia to the Telangana government, which will in turn route the amount to the respective State governments of the deceased.

Local tahsildars, station house officers and other stakeholders will conduct thorough verification before identifying the legal beneficiaries. Officials reiterated that all necessary steps will be taken to prevent fraud and middleman interference.