In the age of digital media, several business institutions are sharing their phone numbers and other details so that new customers can directly contact them. However, a youth used such information to extort money from traders by posing as a naxal commander. The fake Maoist has been identified as Santosh Kumar Mohanty alias Pintu of Khordha district.
Santosh has been arrested by Malkangiri police on the charges of extorting over Rs 1 lakh from several traders in the district by identifying himself as a naxal commander.
Malkangiri SDPO Sachin Patel informed that a complainant Anil, who runs a medicine shop, reported on August 9 to have received a WhatsApp call. The caller identified himself as a naxal commander and demanded ransom.
According to Patel, similar complaints were also reported in other police stations in the district. In one case, a victim had paid over Rs 1 lakh in instalments while another person paid around Rs 3000. During the investigation, it was ascertained that the accused used to get access to phone numbers of shops using Google and using street view and other tools, he used to make calls to the targets.
“The accused used second-hand phones and acquired SIMs from elderly persons. After installing WhatsApp and making ransom calls, he used to sell the phones,” Patel added.
