Deoria (Uttar Pradesh), Mar 8 (IANS): The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Uttar Pradesh has arrested a man accused of selling fake stamp papers, causing a revenue loss of nearly Rs 50 lakh to the government almost two decades ago.

The case was registered under various sections of the IPC and later, the probe was handed over to the EOW, he said.

The SHO of Kotwali police station, Rahul Singh said that between 1999 and 2001, cases of sale of fake stamp papers in Deoria and neighbouring districts had come to light, following which a case was registered against nine people, including the person arrested in Varanasi by the EOW, on orders of the then divisional commissioner in December 2003.

Singh said during the probe, it emerged that the fake stamp papers were not issued from the Deoria treasury.

The accused persons, despite knowing that the stamp papers were fake, used them in government departments in an illegal manner and caused losses to the government, he said.

Harishankar, who has been arrested, had been living in the Garulpar locality under the Kotwali police station to evade arrest, he said.