Hyderabad: Jangaon MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy of the BRS was allegedly duped of ₹1 lakh by a fraudster who posed as a secretariat official. Following a complaint, Jubilee Hills police registered a criminal case.According to police, the MLA received a call on April 5 from a man claiming to be an official from the finance department. The caller told him that under the central govt’s Viksit Bharat scheme, 40 eligible persons in each constituency would receive ₹10 lakh each. He further claimed that a fee of ₹2,500 per beneficiary had to be paid to avail the benefit. Citing it as the last day to apply, the caller convinced the MLA to transfer ₹1 lakh via UPI. At the same time, the MLA asked his staff to prepare a list of eligible beneficiaries. However, suspicion arose when attempts to contact the caller later failed. The MLA then verified the claim with the additional secretary of the finance department and realised he had been cheated. Subsequently, the MLA’s office approached Jubilee Hills police, who registered a case under sections 318 (cheating) and 319 (fraudulent acts related to property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
