Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
A 31-year-old man was arrested for allegedly posing as a Lokayukta officer and attempting to extort money through WhatsApp in Karnataka, the Ullal police confirmed on Monday.
The accused, identified as Dhananjaya Reddy Thota, reportedly called a panchayat officer named Purushottam and introduced himself as a Lokayukta official. Claiming to have information about a corruption case against Purushottam, Thota demanded money to “resolve” the matter.
Suspicious of the caller’s authenticity, Purushottam immediately alerted authorities. An investigation was launched, and the police traced the call to Andhra Pradesh. Thota was apprehended on Saturday.
According to a press release from the Commissioner of Police, Mangaluru, preliminary investigations confirmed that Thota had no connection to the Lokayukta. Instead, he was using this scheme to exploit government officials by playing on their fear of legal repercussions.
“Tracing the call led us to Andhra Pradesh, where we arrested the suspect,” the police stated. “The case underscores the importance of vigilance against such fraudulent schemes.”
Thota has been remanded to police custody while investigators probe whether he was involved in similar scams targeting government employees elsewhere. Authorities have urged officials to remain cautious and report suspicious activities promptly.
