Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The city crime branch on Saturday arrested a man from Gwalior, who made a hoax call to state’s forest and environment minister, Ramniwas Rawat, and sought Rs 5 lakh from him on the pretext of getting his work done, officials said.
Additional DCP (crime) Shailendra Singh Chouhan told Free Press that the accused Rajendra Verma (60), a resident of Gwalior, on July 19, had called Minister Rawat and told him that he had to arrange people to work for him in the upcoming Vijaypur assembly by-elections. He identified himself as the PS of BL Santosh, BJP’s national general secretary (ORG), and sought Rs 5 lakh from him on the same pretext.
The accused also made minister Rawat talk to one of his accomplices to evade suspicion. Minister Rawat ignored his talks for a while, but when the accused tried to contact him again, Rawat sought information from his sources, and came to know that no such call had been made from Santosh’s office.
He told media persons that he also suspected foul play, as the organisational general secretary of national BJP is named BL Santosh, and not D Santosh. Following this, minister Rawat complained to Bhopal police commissioner (CP) Harinarayanachari Mishra, and the city crime branch, who began probing the incident.
On the basis of technical evidences, the crime branch sleuths managed to lay hands on the accused, Verma from Gwalior. He is being brought to Bhopal and will be questioned further, additional DCP Chouhan said.
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