India News | BJP MLC Claims Fund Transferred Using His Forged Signature and AI Voice

Mumbai, July 2 (PTI) BJP MLC Prasad Lad said on Wednesday that unidentified persons forged his letterhead as well as his signature and created his voice using AI to transfer Rs 3.20 crore funds from Ratnagiri district to Beed.

He demanded that the government immediately direct the Mumbai Police to arrest the culprits.

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The fraud came to light on Tuesday after Lad received a call from the Ratnagiri collectorate enquiring whether he had transferred the amount.

"Someone from Beed district forged my signature and transferred Rs 3.20 crore from Ratnagiri and listed 36 works. When I sought details, I discovered that my letterhead and signature were forged. My voice was created using AI to give the impression that I had spoken to officials," Lad told the legislative council.

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He demanded that the government develop a system such as the generation of OTP which can be forwarded to lawmakers when disbursal of MLA funds is initiated. Had this been a small amount, it would not have come to my notice, Lad added.

Council Chairman Ram Shinde revealed that a similar incident had happened with him when he was not the chairman. He said MLCs Uma Khapre and Niranjan Davkhare had also been targeted.

"This matter challenges the government which should take cognisance and take a policy decision," Shinde added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)