Fake CMO Official Arrested for Extorting Government Employee in Rajanna Sircilla
According to police, Surya Prakash targeted Mid Manair Project deputy executive engineer (DEE) Raghupathi posing as a senior CMO official, the accused allegedly threatened the officer with immediate termination unless money was transferred to his UPI account.
Karimnagar: Police on Friday arrested a fraudster who allegedly impersonated an official from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and tied to extort money from a government employee in Rajanna Sircilla district.
The accused has been identified as Rayabandi Surya Prakash, a resident of Kuntloor in Hayathnagar mandal of Rangareddy district. He was arrested following a trap laid by the police based on a complaint lodged by an irrigation department official.
According to police, Surya Prakash targeted Mid Manair Project deputy executive engineer (DEE) Raghupathi posing as a senior CMO official, the accused allegedly threatened the officer with immediate termination unless money was transferred to his UPI account.
Suspecting foul play, the engineer alerted the police. Acting on their instructions, he lured the accused to Kodurupaka on the pretext of handing over cash, where police caught him red-handed.
Investigations revealed that Surya Prakash is a habitual offender and a listed rowdy-sheeter at the Hayathnagar police station. A former office boy, he allegedly turned to crime to fund his addiction to horse racing and gambling.
Police said that after serving a jail term in a theft case, the accused shifted to impersonation. He reportedly used newspaper reports to obtain contact details of government officials and made threatening calls demanding money.
Surya Prakash is facing multiple cases, including two registered with the Central Crime Station (CCS), and several FIRs at Sanath Nagar, Siddipet and Jagtial police stations. His modus operandi involved exploiting the fear of disciplinary action among government employees to extract illegal payments.
Police have advised government staff and the public to remain alert against such impersonation attempts, stating that official communication regarding service or disciplinary matters is never carried out through threatening phone calls or private digital payment requests.
