Two Arrested in ₹3 Crore Cabinet Position Scam by Impersonating Priyanka Gandhi's Office

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Two Delhi residents were arrested for impersonating Priyanka Gandhi’s private secretary to defraud a Kerala MLA through a fake Cabinet position offer.

Arrest and Investigation

Two Delhi residents, Gourav and Nitin Kumar, were detained by Kerala cyber police for allegedly impersonating the private secretary of Priyanka Gandhi to defraud an MLA through a fabricated Cabinet position offer involving ₹3 crore. The operation involved multiple political figures and culminated in arrests after a multi-step investigation.

The Scam Scheme

The scam centered on a false promise of securing a Cabinet ministerial post in exchange for a substantial financial payment. The scheme began on July 6 when Vidya Balakrishnan, an MLA from Elathur, received a call from an individual claiming to be D.S. Rajkumar, the real private secretary of Priyanka Gandhi. The caller asserted that a Cabinet reshuffle was imminent and demanded ₹3 crore to facilitate the appointment.

Verification and Complaint

Balakrishnan, skeptical of the request, contacted the official office of Priyanka Gandhi, which provided a verified voice sample of the genuine D.S. Rajkumar. The discrepancy in the voice confirmed the deception, prompting Balakrishnan to file a formal complaint with the Kozhikode Cyber Police on July 11.

Investigation and Arrests

The real D.S. Rajkumar later reported the misuse of his identity to the Kalpetta Cyber Police after discovering the same phone number had been used to contact other political figures, including Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil and Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose. Investigators utilized mobile tower data, call detail records, and SIM registration information to trace the number to Delhi. A laborer initially linked to the number was later cleared, leading to the identification of Gourav and Nitin Kumar.

Coordinated Raids

Coordinated raids by a Kozhikode-based team resulted in their arrest. The case revealed a structured approach by the perpetrators, who targeted multiple elected representatives rather than a single victim. The same phone number was used in separate attempts against two sitting MPs, indicating a coordinated effort to exploit political influence.

Expert Insights

Cybercrime expert Prof. Triveni Singh, a former IPS officer, highlighted the effectiveness of scams leveraging political connections as a form of social engineering. Such tactics exploit the credibility of high-profile roles to create urgency and secrecy, pressuring victims to act without independent verification.

Singh emphasized the importance of verifying unsolicited offers related to government positions through official channels and reporting suspicious activity via the 1930 National Cyber Crime Helpline or the designated reporting portal.

Ongoing Investigation

The investigation remains active as authorities seek to identify additional participants in the network. Authorities suspect the network may have expanded further, testing the same script across additional MLAs and MPs before achieving success.