Posing as PMO official, Delhi man sought Tirupati darshan, Symbiosis admission. CBI now on lookout

Man booked based on 3 complaints from PMO, which also alerted CBI that accused contacted tehsildar in Mysuru & introduced himself as joint secy, seeking documents related to a plot.

The accused had contacted the Tirupati temple menagement requesting arrangement to attend morning prayers and to get accommodation | Commons

New Delhi: P. Rama Rao identified himself as an official from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) while contacting the Tirupati temple to seek arrangement for morning prayers and accommodation, and approaching Symbiosis International University for admissions. The impostor is now on the run.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked the Delhi-based man based on three complaints from the PMO.

Rao has been charged under Section 318 (4) (cheating that results in wrongful loss to someone whose interests the offender was legally bound to protect), 319 (2) (impersonation), 336 (3) (forgery committed with the intent to cheat), 340 (2) (forgery of digital documents or electronic records with the intent to cause harm to the public or any person) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and 66-D of Information Technology Act that deals with offences of cheating by impersonation using computer resources.

These acts of impersonation was brought to the notice of the CBI first in July, when the Prime Minister’s Office shot off a letter alerting that Rao claimed to be a Deputy Secretary in the PMO and had written a letter to the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple.

Rao’s letter, on a fake letterhead depicting the PMO, to TTD on 1 May, in which arrangements for Suprabhatam Darshan on 10 May were requested, was forwarded to the CBI. Additionally, Rao had also asked for the arrangement of three AC double bedrooms in Tirumala for himself and his nine family members for three nights in May.

While one complaint was pending before the agency, the PMO shared details about another case of impersonation in which Rao called up the Symbiosis pro vicе-chancellor impersonating as a joint secretary-level officer of the PMO, the CBI FIR quotes a complaint from the PMO.

The PMO wrote its third and final letter to the CBI on 29 August, highlighting that Rao contacted a tehsildar in Karnataka’s Mysuru district, seeking documents related to a land parcel. For this act, Rao allegedly used a different name but ‘retained’ the rank of joint secretary in the PMO as well as the phone number reportedly used to call Symbiosis University.

“Prima-facie, this appears to be a case of continued impersonation as an official of the Prime Minister’s Office and misuse of the name of PMО. Accordingly, the CBI is requested to expedite the investigation in the matter. Action taken in the matter may kindly be shared with this Office, for information,” an Assistant Director-level officer of the PMO wrote in the final letter to the CBI.

(Edited by Tony Rai)