Collect and abscond: Man swindles hundreds in the name of BISP

A man went around villages, announcing that women who had not received money should come to him with their CNICs.

SWABI:

Around 393 women’s CNICs were recovered from a house on Thursday by Kalu Khan police in a raid on a gang involved in swindling money by selling fake forms of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

DPO Swabi Sajjad Khan told the media that a week ago, a man identified as Niaz Ali, a resident of Jehangirpura, went around Shewa, Nawa Kallay, Narangi, Parmoli and surrounding villages, announcing that women who had not received money from BISP should come to his hujra with their CNICs. The accused was travelling in a vehicle with a loudspeaker, along with three unidentified women.

Sajjad said hundreds of women thronged to his hujra in Jehangirpura, where Ali and the women were charging every woman Rs200 per form, before taking their CNIC and telling them they would be receiving money from the government soon.

The DPO said he directed SHO Kalu Khan police Qazi Asmat to raid the house and arrest the gang. He added when the police arrived at the scene, Ali had fled with his unidentified accomplices, leaving behind 393 CNICs.

Meanwhile, the victims of the scam are demanding the police arrest the culprits as soon as possible. Cases have been filed at Kalu Khan police station against the accused.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2014.