The Hindu : Front Page : Conman dupes Congress Minister, MLA

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Saturday, Sep 27, 2008
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Conman dupes Congress Minister, MLA

HYDERABAD: Panchayat Raj Minister J. C. Diwakar Reddy and Congress MLA Komatireddy Venkat Reddy fell prey to a trickster who talked them into parting with Rs. 90,000.

The conman convinced them that he was MLA from Burugupudi constituency, Chitturi Ravindra, and that his daughter needed money urgently as she was stranded in Mumbai.

An automobile dealer of Nizamabad was also similarly duped and his purse was lighter by Rs. 70,000.

The fraud came to light only when the Minister enquired from Mr. Ravindra about the well-being of his daughter when the two met on Thursday. Perplexed by the enquiry, Mr. Ravindra said he did not have a daughter at all. Subsequently, Mr. Venkat Reddy too called him up with a similar enquiry.

Mr. Ravindra told reporters on Friday that the imposter called up Mr. Diwakar Reddy on September 9 and beseeched him to transfer Rs. 50,000 online to a bank account in Mumbai to help his daughter as she had lost her baggage. Soon after, a woman too called up the Minister and enquired about the money to be sent.

Travel agent

She requested him to send the money to the account of one Srinivasulu Reddy, a travel agent in Mumbai, who she said was from Tadipatri, the constituency represented by the Minister.

Believing their version, the Minister instructed his assistant to transfer the money to an ICICI bank account. A few days later, Mr. Venkat Reddy received a similar call, wherein the conman requested him to transfer Rs. 40,000 into an SBI account and he obliged.

Mr. Ravindra said he had lodged a complaint with the Director General of Police.

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