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Karnataka man arrested for posing as Lokayukta officer, attempting extortion via WhatsApp
The accused has been remanded to police custody, and further investigations are ongoing.
A man from Karnataka's Mangaluru was arrested for posing as a Lokayukta officer and attempting to extort money via WhatsApp.
As per a PTI report, Dhananjaya Reddy Thota, 31, allegedly impersonated a Lokayukta official in a call to Purushottam, a panchayat officer, demanding money to "resolve" a supposed corruption case.
Suspicious of the caller's identity, Purushottam informed the authorities, prompting an investigation. Tracing the call led police to Andhra Pradesh, where Thota was arrested on Saturday. Initial investigations revealed that Thota had no ties to the Lokayukta and was using the scam to exploit officials by instilling fear of legal action, the report added.
The Ullal police are now investigating whether Thota was involved in similar frauds in other areas.
Thota has been remanded to police custody, and further investigations are ongoing.
(Also Read: Karnataka woman, 28, dies day after C-section delivery, family alleges medical negligence)
Realtor held for posing as Lokayukta employee
Recently, a 45-year-old real estate agent in Bengaluru was arrested for impersonating a relative of the Upa Lokayukta and pressuring a deputy Tahsildar to prioritise property registration work.
The accused, identified as Anand Kumar, was detained by Anekal police following a complaint filed by the deputy registrar of Lokayukta. He now faces charges of impersonation, cheating, and using criminal force to deter public servants from performing their duties, the report added.
(Also Read: Non-vegetarian food distribution sparks row at Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Mandya)
On December 10, Anand contacted Kariya Naik, the deputy Tahsildar, claiming to be both a relative of the Upa Lokayukta and an employee of the Lokayukta office. He allegedly provided instructions to Naik to expedite the registration of one acre of property, owned by an individual named Babu, in another person’s name.
To further pressure the deputy Tahsildar, Kumar reportedly had his associates contact Naik from different phone numbers while impersonating senior officials, including the IGP and SP of Lokayukta, the report added.
