Man poses as Priyanka Gandhi's aide, tries to dupe Kerala MLAs, MPs of Rs 3 crore
A man posing as the private secretary of Wayanad Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attempted to defraud public representatives in Kerala by seeking money from
A man posing as the private secretary of Wayanad Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attempted to defraud public representatives in Kerala by seeking money from them, prompting police to register cases in Wayanad and Kozhikode and launch an investigation. The accused impersonated DS Rajkumar, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's private secretary based in New Delhi, and contacted several Congress leaders, including Elathur MLA K Vidya Balakrishnan and MPs Shafi Parambil and Dean Kuriakose. Read Full Story According to police, the impersonator told Balakrishnan that she could be inducted as a minister in a possible cabinet reshuffle in Kerala if she paid Rs 3 crore.
The Wayanad case was registered on Wednesday after Rajkumar lodged a complaint with the Kerala State Police Chief and the Wayanad Superintendent of Police. In his complaint, he said that an unidentified person had been misusing his identity and the name of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's office to cheat elected representatives by demanding money. Separately, the Kozhikode Cyber Police had registered a case based on a complaint filed by Balakrishnan. She told police that she received a WhatsApp call at around 2 pm on July 6 from a man claiming to be Rajkumar from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's office in New Delhi. During the nearly 10-minute conversation, conducted in English, the caller claimed that a cabinet reshuffle was likely in Kerala and offered to facilitate her induction as a minister in exchange for Rs 3 crore.
He also claimed that she had been referred by another MP from Kozhikode. Growing suspicious, Balakrishnan contacted the MP, who informed her that someone claiming to be from the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office had earlier sought the contact details of her and another MLA. She later verified with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's office that no such call had been made and that the caller had falsely impersonated Rajkumar. Police have registered cases under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Investigators said the WhatsApp call originated from New Delhi and that a suspect has been identified based on the phone number used.
They are, however, verifying whether the SIM card was procured using forged identity documents. A police team is expected to travel to New Delhi as part of the investigation. Police are now probing the attempt to cheat elected representatives by misusing the identity of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's private secretary and are working to identify the person behind the calls. Ends
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