Conman tries to dupe MP minister by promising to help win byelection

Bhopal, Jul 27 (PTI) A 58-year-old man who allegedly tried to swindle Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Ramniwas Rawat by posing as a top BJP leader's aide and offering to help him win a byelection was arrested, police said on Saturday.

The crime branch of MP Police arrested Rajendra Verma near Etawah, said an official, adding that he belongs to Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh.

Rawat, a six-time Congress MLA from Vijaypur assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, resigned during the Lok Sabha campaign and joined the BJP. He was inducted in the ministry recently, and would be seeking reelection from Vijaypur seat.

Verma was arrested under bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act two days ago, and was granted bail after he was brought here, the police official said.

Rawat had lodged a complaint with Bhopal Police on July 19 regarding the attempt to dupe him.

When contacted, the minister told PTI that the matter was over.

A source close to him said that Verma allegedly posed, over phone, as the PA of a senior BJP functionary, and told Rawat that if he paid Rs 5 lakh, some persons can help him win the byelection.

The minister then contacted the said BJP functionary's office and was told that no one from there had made any such call to him, the source said.

Further probe was on, the police official said. PTI LAL KRK