41-year-old ex-NTPC staffer held in Hyderabad for duping public representatives

HYDERABAD: A 41-year-old man was arrested by the Task Force sleuths on Sunday for allegedly extorting money by posing as the Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development. The accused Balaji Naidu, a resident of Tenali in Andhra Pradesh, had worked with NTPC previously, but was later removed from service.

According to the police account, the accused made a call to the husband of Suryapet Municipal Council Chairperson Ganduri Pravalika Prakash, claiming that he was the Principal Secretary of MAUD. Allegedly stating that the chairperson has failed to claim the Rs 2 crore fund allocated by the Centre to each municipality as unemployment allowance, he asked the husband to deposit Rs 30,000 immediately, so as to get the funds released without delay.

“The complainant deposited the amount to Naidu’s account, after which the latter switched his mobile phone off,’’ said Task Force DCP P Radha Kishan Rao. The Task Force sleuths arrested the accused based on a tip-off. He was later handed over to Suryapet police for taking further action. 

Naidu is allegedly a habitual cheater and has been booked in 32 cheating cases across both the Telugu States. He is said to have cheated many public representatives in the past in a similar manner.