2 held for impersonating PS to Telangana minister

Two persons- a charted accountant and a mechanical engineer- were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly impersonating as officials from the office of the IT and industries minister KT Rama Rao and cheating people by preparing fake official letters, police said.

Based on a tip-off, sleuths of Special Operations Team, Malkajgiri Zone along with Ghatkesar police apprehended Karthikeya a resident of Malkajgiri and Fredric Taylor of Lalapet for cheating and impersonating the personal secretary (PS) to minister KTR and calling up officials in the government and private sector asking them for official favours, Mahesh Bhagwat, Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda said.

The duo had collected lakhs of rupees from people in lieu of the favours.

Police seized fake Letters of Credit issued from Chief Minister's office, net cash amount of Rs 1.75 lakh and three mobile phones from the possession of the arrested duo.

"Karthikeya and Fredric are friends, residing at Malkajgiri, Lalapet Secunderabad area. Karthikeya is a charted accountant and Fredric is a mechanical engineer. Karthikeya while working for private companies was looking after the consulting work, business proposals, project report and financial modules of the companies in getting government approval and on official work he used to visit frequently to the secretariat and was meeting the officials in connection with his work," said Bhagwat.

"He gathered information about the personal secretaries working in the Minister KTR office and soon Karthikeya started posing as Srinivas, PS to minister KTR and used to call up officials in the government and private offices ordering the officials concerned to do the needful favour immediately," he added.

Once Karthikeya posing as Srinivas contacted Sriramula Raju, an administrative officer at Kasturba Gandhi Degree and PG College for Women, Secunderabad and asked him to arrange one admission. He collected Rs. 90,000 in return for the favour.

Also Karthikeya and Fredric helped in cancelling the transfer order of the headmistress ZP High school Ravulapenta Vempally Mandal of Nalgonda district by preparing a fake letter on government letterhead and addressed a recommendation letter to the Commissioner of Telangana Open Schools Society.

After being informed about the fake letter, a case was registered in Nalgonda 1 town police station and Karthikeya was remanded and his laptop and mobile phones seized.

Later, Sriramula Raju contacted Karthikeya believing him to be the PS to KTR and requested for help in the treatment of his son under a government scheme. Karthikeya promised to do so and asked for Rs 2 lakh towards medical expenses. Karthikeya and Fredric then prepared a fake letter as issued from Chief Ministers Office and given to Sriramula Raju, who in turn submitted in the Srikara hospital and got the treatment done.

Later, when the hospital authorities found the letter to be bogus, they immediately informed Raju who on contacting KTRs office discovered that he was cheated.