MP: Fake Caller Tries To Dupe Minister Ramniwas Rawat By Impersonating PA Of BJP Leader; Smart Response Helps Him Avert ₹5 Lakh Online Fraud

Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): Cabinet Minister Ramniwas Rawat's smart response has saved him from losing Rs 5 lakh to cyber fraudsters.

The accused, pretending to be the personal secretary of BJP's National General Secretary, called Rawat and demanded five lakh rupees. Rawat promptly filed a complaint with the Crime Branch, which led to the arrest of the accused, who is from Madhya Pradesh.

The Minister of Forest and Environment, Ramniwas Rawat, reported that he received a phone call from the number 92********. The caller introduced himself as the personal secretary of BJP’s National General Secretary, D. Santosh. He offered to arrange people to assist Rawat in the upcoming Vijaypur Assembly by-elections, asking for five lakh rupees per person. Initially, Rawat ignored the calls, but the caller was persistent and kept calling.

Rawat said that the caller even had another person speak to him, claiming to be BJP’s National General Secretary, D. Santosh. This person spoke in a serious tone, but Rawat became suspicious because the name mentioned was incorrect; the actual National General Secretary is B.L. Santosh.

Rawat, who has been an MLA from Vijaypur, resigned, prompting the upcoming by-elections. The fraudulent calls demanding money began after he became a minister on July 8, with the caller claiming to offer election support.

Upon investigating, Rawat found that no such call had been made from the National General Secretary's office. Realizing it was a scam, he filed a complaint.

The Crime Branch registered a case under Section 319(2) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66(C) of the Information Technology Act, initiating an investigation.