Villivakkam Police Arrest Two for Impersonating Minister, Demanding Rs 8 Cr

The Villivakkam police have arrested two men for impersonating Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna and demanding Rs 8 crore from Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) Vellore MLA M.M. Vinoth Kannan in exchange for a ministerial berth.

The arrested suspects have been identified as 27-year-old Ruben Raj, a resident of Vellore, and 21-year-old Sakthi Arjun, hailing from Tondiarpet. Both men were taken into custody following an investigation into the extortion attempt.

According to police, the fraudulent scheme was initiated when Ruben Raj and Sakthi Arjun reached out to an individual named Dayalan, who maintains contacts with the office of the Vellore MLA. The two accused told Dayalan that they were acquainted with Minister Aadhav Arjuna. They claimed that MLA Vinoth Kannan could secure a ministerial post provided he transferred an amount of Rs 8 crore to the minister through them.

To fabricate proof and convince the representative, Ruben Raj created a fake email identification account under the name of Minister Aadhav Arjuna. Using this fraudulent account, he generated a fake message and forwarded a screenshot of the confirmation message to Dayalan through WhatsApp.

Once information regarding the proposal was relayed to Vinoth Kannan, the MLA engaged the suspects directly to verify the situation. During a group video call conducted with the accused, the MLA realized that Ruben Raj and Sakthi Arjun were falsely posing as representatives of the minister in a bid to obtain money from him.

Upon uncovering the impersonation, TVK functionary Nisvaaq lodged an official complaint with the Villivakkam police. The police initiated an inquiry into the matter, which subsequently led to the location and arrest of both Ruben Raj and Sakthi Arjun.

Investigators stated that the two accused had engaged in a criminal conspiracy. They are facing formal charges of impersonating a minister, manufacturing fake electronic documents, and circulating false information.