Conman tried to trap 17 MLAs with cabinet berth offer

Nagpur: Niraj Singh Rathod, who had studied up to Std XII, was in the process of extorting crores of rupees from members of legislative assembly (MLAs) posing as the personal assistant (PA) of a senior national-level BJP neta. Call details showed Rathod had contacted at least 17 MLAs from different parts of India promising them ministerial berth with recommendation from the senior leader.
Arrested from Ahmedabad by a team of Nagpur police crime, Rathod was produced before a court here on Thursday. He was remanded in custody of the crime branch till May 22.
Rathod, a tile mason who had began his career as a helper, was exposed by BJP MLA Vikas Kumbhare whom he was repeatedly calling for ₹1.67 crore promising a cabinet berth as rural development minister. Kumbhare was asked to pay the amount as a contribution to help an Assamese leader, who was not financially strong, to win an election.
Rathod had also called yet another BJP MLA from Nagpur asking him for a contribution towards food arrangements during a national party meet.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar had sent a crime branch team to Ahmedabad to arrest Rathod after his call record analysis traced his location.
“Rathod had many times made the MLAs speak to another person who identified himself as the senior BJP neta. It could be someone else posing as the senior neta or Rathod himself mimicking the neta,” said the CP adding that thorough interrogation was yet to be done.
Rathod used to collect amounts paid to him by MLAs in the money app of a mobile phone user in the vicinity. Rathod had got air tickets to Delhi sponsored by some politician from Kerala.