Conman posed as Andhra CM's personal secretary, held for smuggling ganja

Visakhapatnam, July 31: A man, who had once impersonated Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telangana Minister K. T. Rama Rao’s personal secretary, has been arrested by police in Srikakulam district for procuring, possessing and transporting ganja (cannabis).

The 28-year-old was found in possession of 24 kg dry ganja. Nagaraju Budumuru, a native of Yavvaripeta in Srikakulam district, had procured the weed from neighbouring Odisha and was planning to transport it to Mumbai.

Srikakulam police registered a case against him under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and took up investigation.

According to police, the accused had even claimed to be an MBA graduate and a former Ranji Trophy player. However, Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has denied these claims.

This is not the first time Nagaraju has been arrested. The conman duped many people in the past and is reportedly involved in 40 criminal cases.

In March, the Mumbai Police had arrested him for duping an electronics retail chain of Rs 12 lakh by impersonating Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

He was arrested from the Srikakulam district. Police investigation has revealed that he cheated about 60 companies of nearly Rs 3 crore using the same method.

In December 2022, an employee from the managing director’s office of the electronics seller received a call from a man claiming to be the personal assistant of the Andhra CM. The caller said the CM wanted to have a word with the MD, said the anti-cybercrime official.

After the staffer shared the MD’s mobile number, the accused got in touch with the MD while posing as the Andhra Pradesh CM and asked for Rs 12 lakh from the electronics retail chain towards sponsorship of the kit of a cricketer. The accused sent fake documents in the name of the Andhra Cricket Association and an email ID claiming that it belongs to the cricketer and got the amount released.

The businessman later realized that he was conned and lodged a complaint with the police in January.

Earlier, the accused was arrested in 2021 by the Telangana Police for posing as personal secretary of state minister for industries and information technology K. T. Rama Rao. He had allegedly duped nine companies to the tune of Rs. 40 lakh.