Three people were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday morning in connection with a fraud case as several athletes across the country were duped of money through a false advertisement for next year's Khelo India Games, informed Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
"I am happy to share that the three persons, Sanjay Pratap Singh, Anuj Kumar, and Ravi, involved in fleecing money from athletes with the assurance of helping them to participate in Khelo India Games 2021, have been apprehended by UP Police this morning, following an FIR by SAI," said Rijiju in his tweet.
The Agra police had started investigating details of the scam on an FIR by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) against an alleged mastermind, from the city. The case is now being followed up by the cyber cell, said SSP Bablu Kumar.
According to sources, a person from Bah tehsil had put up an advertisement on social media, inviting sportspersons to contact him to participate in the Games slated to be held Panchkula, Haryana in 2021.
SAI had requested the Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) and the Agra District Magistrate (DM) to lodge an FIR and take immediate action in the matter of a potentially huge fraud in the name of the Games.
"The Sports Authority of India has received several complaints from grassroot-level athletes from across the country that an advertisement has been posted on social media platforms inviting applications to participate in the Khelo India Games scheduled in Panchkula in Haryana in 2021," SAI had said in an earlier statement on Wednesday.
The advertisement also used "logos of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sports Authority of India and Khelo India, which misled several athletes to believe it to be a government advertisement.
It is learnt that the accused asked aspiring athletes to contact them through a contact number provided on the advertisement in addition to sending out bogus forms for the athletes to fill. When contacted, the mother of an athlete who had filled one such form confirmed to IANS that they had been asked to pay Rs.6,000 in order to enrol for the camp.
SAI has already clarified that athletes qualify for participating in Khelo India Games "based on their performances in School Games/University Games organised by SGFI/AIU".
