₹10 crore extortion bid against TDP MP foiled

Extortion bid against TDP MP exposes growing cybercrime threat

A case involving an alleged ₹10 crore extortion attempt against a sitting TDP Member of Parliament has brought renewed focus on the rising threat of cyber fraud and digital intimidation. The incident occurred even as police were already probing an earlier online scam linked to the MP’s family, underlining the persistence and evolving methods of cybercriminals.

The target in the latest case was Putta Mahesh Kumar, the TDP MP from Eluru. Police said the accused posed as an RTI activist and attempted to pressure the MP by threatening to make public details of his assets.

Threats linked to asset disclosures

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According to investigators, the accused sent emails to the MP claiming that the wealth mentioned in his election affidavit was acquired illegally. He allegedly warned that these details would be widely publicised unless a payment of ₹10 crore was made.

After receiving the threat, the MP initially faced intimidation but later approached the police, triggering a detailed investigation that led to the arrest of the accused.

Accused traced to Maharashtra

The arrested individual was identified as Rishanth Wadke, a 32-year-old resident of Maharashtra. Police revealed that Wadke had earlier cheated the MP’s father, Putta Sudhakar Yadav, who is also the MLA from Maidukuru.

In that earlier incident, ₹70,000 was allegedly siphoned off from Sudhakar Yadav’s bank account through an online fraud, leading to a police complaint. During the course of that investigation, Wadke is said to have escalated the matter by directly contacting the MP through email with fresh threats.

Prior intimidation attempts revealed

Investigators further disclosed that Wadke had previously travelled to Maidukuru and allegedly threatened the personal assistant of the MLA. Police believe he used publicly available information, including asset details from election affidavits, to lend credibility to his threats.

After tracing digital evidence, Kadapa police managed to apprehend the accused following sustained efforts. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

Police warn public on cyber safety

Police officials cautioned that cyber frauds and digital extortion cases are increasing, with criminals targeting individuals across professions and political positions. They urged the public to remain vigilant, avoid responding to threats, and report suspicious online activity promptly.