A man from Andhra Pradesh has been arrested by the Mumbai police for allegedly cheating an electronics retail chain in the city of Rs 12 lakh by pretending to be Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. According to the police, the accused was arrested from Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, March 14.
The accused, identified as Nagraj Budumuru, was located in Andhra Pradesh by the Mumbai cyber cell police nearly two months after an electronics vendor from the city filed a complaint. Officials stated that Nagaraju had duped 60 companies of nearly Rs 3 crore by posing as either the CM's personal assistant or the CM himself.
According to police officials, a man who identified himself as the personal assistant of the Andhra CM, called a representative from the managing director's office of the electronics retailer in December last year. The caller claimed that the CM wanted to speak with the company's MD.
After the employee shared the MD's mobile number, the accused is said to have contacted the MD posing as the Andhra CM and requested Rs 12 lakh in order to sponsor a cricketer's kit, according to officials.
To appear legitimate, the accused sent fake papers in the name of the Andhra Cricket Association and an email address purportedly belonging to the cricketer, and was successful in getting the money released.
When the electronics seller realised he had been duped, he reported it to the Mumbai police in January. Following this, the cyber cell of the city police launched an investigation and discovered the suspect’s location in Srikakulam. Police seized Rs 7.6 lakh from Nagaraju's bank accounts and discovered that he faces at least 30 similar cases in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.