Engineer falls prey to scam by man posing as Priyank Kharge’s aide

Bengaluru: A man allegedly impersonated the Special Officer On Duty to Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge and cheated an executive engineer awaiting posting, officials said on Monday. 

According to the complaint filed by Dr Nagaraj, Special Officer On Duty to Kharge, a person named Raghunandan reached out to Kavya N, the victim, on October 14. 

The suspect allegedly told Kavya that he was Kharge’s assistant and the Special Officer On Duty and demanded Rs 2 lakh for her transfer.

Between October 15 and 16, the suspect allegedly extorted Rs 80,000 from Kavya after threatening her.

The Vidhana Soudha police registered a case on October 23 under BNS sections 204 (personating a public servant), 318 (cheating), 319 (cheating by personation) and 351 (criminal intimidation). 

“We have launched an investigation,” a police officer said. “We have received clues and are close to apprehending the suspect.”