The Punjab state cybercrime cell in Mohali booked two persons following the complaint of state cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian for allegedly making a fraudulent call to the registrar, Punjab State Technical Education Board, Chandigarh, posing as the minister and seeking issuance of an electrical engineering diploma certificate to a candidate.
The accused have been identified as Balkar Singh of Fazilka, besides an unidentified man.
The minister, through an email to Gaurav Yadav, director general of police, Punjab, stated that an unidentified caller posing as Khudian called Sanjiv Goyal, registrar, Punjab State Technical Education Board, in February this year.
According to the police, the caller asked him to issue electrical engineering diploma certificate of 1st and 2nd semester to one Balkar Singh. The accused made three calls to Goyal and sent him a detailed WhatsApp message.
When contacted by Goyal, the minister denied making any such calls to him.
Taking a strict note of the incident, the minister wrote to the Punjab DGP seeking immediate probe and action in the case.
Police found that the said mobile number was registered in the name of Sukha of Basti Guru Karam Singh, Guru Har Sahai, Ferozepur.
{{/usCountry}}Police found that the said mobile number was registered in the name of Sukha of Basti Guru Karam Singh, Guru Har Sahai, Ferozepur.
{{/usCountry}}The police also found out that the number from which Goyal received three calls was registered in the name of Balkar Singh of Fazilka.
However, Balkar in a statement to the police stated that his phone was not working so he bought a new one. He claimed that he later lost his defunct phone.
“Prima facie, it seems that Balkar made an excuse to not produce his mobile phone for examination. He seemingly called from his mobile phone posing as Khudian to get his diploma certificate,” Shawinder Singh, inspector, state cybercrime police station, said.
The state cyber police on June 11 booked both the accused under the Information Technology Act, 2000.