Published 12:11 IST, January 19th 2020
Telangana: Two conmen held for spoofing CBI phone, demanding bribe
CBI arrested two persons for allegedly posing as of CBI officers and demanding bribe from ex-TDP MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, an accused in a bank fraud case.
Advertisement
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two persons on Thursday for allegedly impersonating as CBI officers and demanding bribe from a former TDP MP, Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, an accused in a bank fraud case in Telangana's Hyderabad.
This is the third case where people have spoofed the landline number of the agency to demand bribe from suspects in a case probed by it.
According to CBI, a case was filed on January 16 against two persons, Y Manivardhan Reddy, a resident of Hyderabad and Selvam Ramaraj from Madurai in Tamil Nadu and others under the Sections of Prevention of Corruption Act (PC) Act, 1988
(as amended in 2018) and section 66D of IT Act, 2000.
It was informed that the accused along with a few others were threatening and demanding large amounts as bribes from a former MP, who is facing a bank fraud case with Central Law Enforcement Agencies.
CBI telephone number spoofed
Reports also say that both the persons had allegedly used malicious software to hack the landline telephone number 011-24302700 of the CBI Head office in New Delhi, to demand a bribe.
"In this connection, they have contacted one of the accused in a CBI case pertaining to bank fraud, and demanded huge amounts of money in the name of senior CBI officials posted at New Delhi," CBI spokesperson Nitin Wakankar said in a statement.
After the case was filed, CBI conducted searches at five places — two in Chennai, one in Hyderabad, Madurai, and Shivakasi and recovered several mobile phones, many incriminating communications, and documents.
"Information further revealed that Manivardhan Reddy Yala and Selvam Ramaraj have been collecting money from different people in the name of senior central government functionaries by promising favourable action in their matters through these central government functionaries," the FIR stated.
The arrested accused will soon be presented before the competent court; further investigation is underway.
In the recent months, the CBI has come across two such cases where the accused spoofed the phone number of the agency to call people facing probes in various cases. In one such case, a person posed as director of the CBI to demand a bribe.
(With inputs from ANI & PTI)
12:11 IST, January 19th 2020