Crime Hyderabad

Hyderabad police nab imposter posing as Finance department’s additional secretary

Hyderabad Police Nab Imposter Posing As Finance Department's Additional Secretary

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad cybercrime police on Saturday apprehended Thota Balaji Naidu, also known as Malla Reddy or Dasari Anil Kumar, for impersonating an Additional Secretary in the finance department. He defrauded innocent individuals, resulting in a loss of Rs. 3,60,000.

The accused identified as Thota Balaji Naidu, 50 years old, and resident of Chenchupeta, Tenali, Guntur District, is a former Assistant Engineer at NTPC, Ramagundam. In 2008, he was caught accepting a bribe from an MLA’s PA by the CBI, which led to his arrest and subsequent suspension from NTPC. Despite this, he was reinstated and later dismissed in 2009, after which he began perpetrating fraudulent schemes.

An FIR (No. 1154/2024) was filed under Sections 66(D) of the IT Act, 2008, and Sections 419 and 420 of the IPC at the Cybercrime police station in Hyderabad. The police seized incriminating evidence from the accused.

On May 15, 2024, a complaint was received from the personal secretary of an MLA, reporting that an individual claiming to be an Additional Secretary in the Finance Department contacted the MLA and informed them about a new government loan scheme. The scheme supposedly required the participation of 100 members, each contributing Rs. 3,600, totaling Rs. 3,60,000. Believing the ruse, the victim transferred the amount to bank accounts provided by the accused and subsequently lost contact with him.

Investigations revealed that Thota Balaji Naidu obtained phone numbers of MLAs and MPs from the website myneta.com. He would then pose as an Additional Secretary of the Finance Department, informing them about a fictitious government scheme requiring financial contributions from members. Once the money was transferred to his accounts, he would evade further communication. Further interrogation revealed that the accused had a history of fraudulent activities, with 37 cases registered against him in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, targeting several MLAs and MPs using similar tactics.

The investigation was conducted by a team led by Inspector of Police S. Mattam Raju, with members SI A. Uma ASI K. Raj Kumar, Sunil Kumar B. Naresh Goud, MG Sudharshan, P. Ashok Kumar M. Ganesh, P. Sainath, and D. Meena under the supervision of R.G Siva Maruthi, ACP, Cyber Crime PS, Hyderabad.