BERHAMPUR: Berhampur police on Saturday arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly posing as the personal assistant (PA) of BJP national president Nitin Nabin and attempting to extort money from party workers by making fraudulent phone calls.
The accused, Jagannath Mandal is a native of Panchama under Golanthara police limits. Police said Rajesh Kumar Patra, a businessman and BJP worker, lodged a complaint on Friday alleging that he had received a WhatsApp call, which displayed the name ‘Nitin Nabin PA’.
Patra alleged that when he received the call, the caller introduced himself as the personal assistant of BJP national president Nitin Nabin and demanded Rs 50,000 for party-related work. “However, when I questioned him about the demand, the caller threatened to complain against me to the local MLA,” he claimed.
A similar complaint was lodged by another man, Ganesh Nahak, who worked as an assistant for the Chikiti MLA. Nahak alleged he received a call from the same number and the caller demanded Rs 50,000. When he was asked to verify his identity, the accused allegedly threatened to file a false complaint against Nahak before Nabin.
Police then launched an investigation and arrested Mandal. Further probe revealed he was a history-sheeter and frequently moved between Surat and Berhampur. Mandal has previously been involved in making fraudulent calls demanding money from BJP workers, by posing as PA to prominent political leaders. He was arrested and produced in court, said police adding, further investigation was underway.