Delhi duo brought to Kozhikode, remanded in Rs 3 crore fraud attempt on MLA Vidya Balakrishnan

KOZHIKODE: Two men arrested in Delhi for allegedly attempting to cheat Elathur MLA Vidya Balakrishnan of Rs 3 crore by promising her a ministerial post have been brought to Kozhikode and remanded in judicial custody.

The accused, Gaurav (21) and Nitin Kumar (21), both residents of Sapera Basti in Ghadoli village, East Delhi, were arrested from Ghazipur by a cyber police team led by Kozhikode City DCP Padam Singh. They were brought to Kozhikode at around 4 am on Sunday.

The two were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, which remanded them to the district jail. City Cyber Crime Assistant Commissioner Pradeep Kumar said police would soon move the court seeking custody of the accused for further questioning.

After their arrest, the duo were produced before a court in Delhi and brought to Kerala on transit remand. Police also seized the mobile phone and SIM card allegedly used in the crime. The fraudsters had allegedly contacted Vidya Balakrishnan on August 6, offering her a ministerial post in exchange for Rs 3 crore.

Accused linked to similar cases
Kozhikode City Police Commissioner K.P. Shoukath Ali said both accused are educated. Gaurav is an LLB student, while Nitin Kumar is pursuing a degree course.

Police said Gaurav is also involved in similar cases registered in other states. He had previously served a jail term in Nashik in a case involving an alleged attempt to cheat the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) through a phone call.

Reacting to the arrests, Vidya Balakrishnan praised the Kerala Police for solving the case.

"In such cases, it is usually difficult to trace the accused quickly. The investigation team had only one phone number to work with. I congratulate the Kerala Police for arresting the accused," she said.