A person pretending to be the private secretary of Wayanad Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought money from elected officials in Kerala, leading police to open inquiries in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.
The individual used the name of DS Rajkumar, the MP’s secretary based in New Delhi, and reached out to several Congress figures such as Elathur MLA K Vidya Balakrishnan along with MPs Shafi Parambil and Dean Kuriakose.
Police reports indicate the impersonator informed Balakrishnan that payment of three crore rupees could secure her a ministerial post during an expected cabinet change in the state.
The Wayanad case opened on Wednesday after Rajkumar submitted a complaint to the Kerala State Police Chief and the Wayanad Superintendent of Police. He stated that an unknown individual was misusing his name and the MP’s office to solicit payments from public representatives.
Separately, Kozhikode Cyber Police filed a case after Balakrishnan reported receiving a WhatsApp call around 2 pm on July 6 from someone claiming to be Rajkumar calling from New Delhi.
In the roughly ten-minute English conversation, the caller mentioned a likely cabinet reshuffle and offered to arrange her ministerial appointment for three crore rupees, adding that another Kozhikode MP had provided her contact.
Balakrishnan grew doubtful and checked with the referenced MP, who confirmed that someone from the AICC office had earlier requested contact details for her and another legislator.
She then confirmed with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s office that no such call had occurred and that the caller had falsely used Rajkumar’s identity.
Cases were registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
Investigators traced the call to New Delhi and identified a suspect through the phone number, though they are checking if the SIM was obtained with fake documents.
A police team plans to visit New Delhi to advance the probe into the attempt to defraud elected representatives by misusing the secretary’s identity.
