CBI probes fake Nitin Gadkari letter

The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated an inquiry against an unknown person who allegedly tried to dupe the Prime Minister’s Office by sending a letter, using forged letterhead of Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking immediate implementation of a few government schemes. Mr Gadkari’s signature was also forged in the letter. The Prime Minister’s Office verified the matter with Mr Gadkari’s office after which it was found that someone was trying to dupe Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CBI was then asked to conduct a probe. A highly-placed source said the accused had addressed the letter to Mr Modi, using the term “Priya Modiji (Dear Mr Modi)” like Mr Gadkari does.

“He just mentioned the name of Mr Modi in Hindi, but the rest of the letter was typed in English. It looked like Mr Gadkari’s letterhead. However, one of the schemes he mentioned in the letter was yet to be implemented. This raised suspicion and Mr Gadkari’s office was immediately contacted by the PMO,” a source said. The accused had mentioned the proposed Dhan Kramashah Yojna in the letter and had asked for its effective implementation. The PMO was informed by Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s office that he had not written any letter to Mr Modi. Mr Gadkari’s personal secretary Vaibhav Dange spoke to the PMO regarding the matter. It was also discovered that Mr Gadkari’s signature was also forged by the accused. “The PMO was immediately informed that Mr Gadkari’s signature was forged. They also revealed that the letterhead was forged,” the source said.

The PMO initiated an inquiry into the matter. Both the PMO and Mr Gadkari’s office was serious about the matter as recently someone had forged BJP MP Yogi Adityanath’s letterhead and sent it to a few government units for financial gain. A case in this respect was lodged with the Delhi police on the request of the parliamentary committee. The accused who forged Mr Adityanath’s letterhead has been not identified so far.