SHIMLA, April 7: — An unidentified person has been booked for allegedly attempting to defraud Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh by posing as a government official and trying to siphon off funds from his bank account.
The matter came to light after Priya Chhabra, Chief Manager of UCO Bank, lodged a police complaint. According to Chhabra, the bank received a call from an individual claiming to be from the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat. The caller requested confidential banking information and attempted to initiate a Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) transfer of Rs 7,85,521.
“The caller’s manner raised suspicion, prompting the Branch Manager to verify the request with the minister’s personal secretary,” Chhabra stated. “It was confirmed that no such instruction had been given by the minister’s office.”
Following the confirmation, Chhabra approached the police and a case was registered under Sections 319 (cheating by personation) and 62 (attempt to commit an offence punishable with life imprisonment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023.
Police have begun investigating the incident and are working to trace the identity of the caller.
