Image showing a police officer. For representational purposes.
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Mangaluru: The Ullal police have been successful in arresting a man from Andhra Pradesh, who had allegedly posed as a Lokayukta police and demanded money from Someshwara TMC Revenue officer, and senior health inspectors.
Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal said that the arrested man, Dhananjay Reddy Thota is from Kadiri taluk in Andhra Pradesh.
Ullal police had earlier registered a complaint against an unknown person posing as a Lokayukta police and demanding money from a revenue official.
Purushothama who was serving as revenue officer at Someshwara TMC received a WhatsApp call on April 6, 2024, and the caller allegedly introduced himself as Lokayukta police.
The caller had informed him that Lokayukta had received a complaint against him and the technical officer would reach the office shortly. The Truecaller app showed the caller as D Prabhakar, Lokayukta PI.
Later, Purushotham allegedly enquired with Mangaluru Lokayukta and realised that there was no officer by the name of D Prabhakar. Someshwara TMC senior health inspectors Lilly Nair and Krishna R also had received similar threat calls, said Purushotham in a complaint. Investigating the case, the Ullal police have been successful in arresting the man, said the commissioner.
In 2019, the arrested had carried out a similar modus operandi, and a case was registered at Gauribidanur police station under sections 385, 419,420, 506 of IPC and Shabad police station under sections 342, 352, 115, 120 of IPC.