26-yr-old housing scam: EOW nabs former manager

Raipur: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Saturday, arrested a former manager of Sahkari Awas Sangh Maryadit Bhopal in connection with a Rs 1.86 crore fraud dating back 26 years.The accused, Pradeep Kumar Nikhra, was apprehended on Saturday. A local court has remanded him to police custody until April 7. This follows the earlier arrests of two other accused, Thawardas Madhwani and Basant Kumar Sahu, on March 18.The case pertains to an investigation into crimes registered in the year 2000 involving criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, and forgery.According to bureau officials, the fraud occurred between 1995 and 1998 under a govt housing scheme intended for needy individuals. Investigations revealed that Thawardas Madhwani, then president of Adhunik Griha Nirman Sahakari Samiti Maryadit Raipur, colluded with Basant Kumar Sahu, a former housing supervisor, and Nikhra to embezzle funds.The accused allegedly used forged documents and fake certificates to sanction loans of Rs 1 lakh each for 186 members of the cooperative society, totaling Rs 1.86 crore.The scam came to light during physical verification when officials found that neither the houses existed at the sites mentioned in the records nor were the purported loanees present there.