Man cheats MPs, MLAs for info

Hyderabad: Central Crime Station officials on Thursday arrested a person who conned MLAs and MPs by introducing himself as the project director of Rajiv Yuvakiranalu and asked them to forward the applications of unemployed youth in their constituencies to him.

He would later ask the applicants to deposit money into an account. Till date, he has fraudulently taken information from 22 MPs and MLAs and has used the same information to cheat unemployed youth to the tune of Rs 6 lakh.

The accused has been identified as Thota Balaji Naidu, alias Naidu alias Manohar alias Shekar, 34, a former employee of NTPC at Ramgundam, Karimnagar district.

He is a resident of Amaravathi flats, near Huda Park, Chenchupeta, Tenali, Guntur district and a native of Kirlampudi Village, East Godavari district.

According to Pala Raju, deputy commissioner of police, CCS, detective department, Naidu would target only Members of the Legislative Assembly and Members of Parliament.

He collected the phones numbers of the peoples’ representatives from the BSNL toll free number 197.

“After getting their numbers, he would call them up and introduce himself as the project director of Rajiv Yuvakiranalu. He would ask the representatives to send applications of unemployed youth from their constituency,” the DCP said.

He would then ask them to deposit money into a bank account, which he would immediately withdraw. Naidu, who has been arrested 17 times so far. His victims include MPs Hanumantha Rao, Devender Goud and Palvai Govardhan, said the police.