A former stringer with vernacular dailies was arrested by the Central Crime Station (CCS) police on the charge of posing as a principal secretary to the Chief Minister’s Office. CCS sleuths of the White Collar Offences Team apprehended R. Surya Prakash Chary (35), based on a complaint by a retired government official after he suspected foul play.
Cheating history
According to the CCS police, Chary, who is a resident of Uppal, had a history of cheating and extorting people by posing as a journalist, principal secretary, secretary to the State Home Ministry, and a PA to former Chief Ministers.
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A criminal case was registered against him based on the complaint of K. Bala Sundaram, a retired CTO, after Chary allegedly demanded money from him to organise a journalist conference at Khammam, while posing as a principal secretary to the CM. Suspecting foul play, Mr. Sundaram approached the CCS police, said a press release on Saturday.
Chary, who used to work as a stringer for local Telugu dailies, was removed from service at every place he worked. Taking undue advantage of being a reporter, he would take money from businessmen, and government officials. The former stringer used to select hospitals, schools and government officials to extort money, said the release.
Prior to his arrest on Saturday, he was arrested in similar cheating and extortion cases by the Kushaiguda, Chaithanyapuri, Keesara, and Meerpet police. He was remanded and would be produced before a court.
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The police requested the general public to be careful regarding fake journalists/police/PAs/PSs to ministers.