In a swift operation by the Ullal police, Dhananjaya Reddy Thota, a 31-year-old man, was arrested for posing as a Lokayukta officer and attempting to extort money from a panchayat officer in Mangaluru. The accused was detained on Saturday after an investigation revealed that he had been using the threat of legal action to exploit government employees.
On receiving a call from Thota, who claimed to be a Lokayukta officer, Purushottam, a panchayat officer, was allegedly told that he needed to pay money to “resolve” an alleged corruption case against him. However, Purushottam became suspicious of the caller’s identity and immediately alerted the authorities. His quick action prompted the police to initiate an investigation.
Through their probe, the Ullal police traced the fraudulent call to Andhra Pradesh, where Thota was apprehended. Preliminary investigations confirmed that Thota had no real connection to the Lokayukta office. He had been using the guise of an official to exploit officials by leveraging their fear of legal consequences.
The police have remanded Thota to custody and are now investigating whether he was involved in similar scams targeting government employees in other areas. Authorities have urged government workers to be vigilant against such fraudulent activities, particularly those claiming to represent anti-corruption bodies like the Lokayukta.
