Tue Dec 24 15:25:19 UTC 2024: ## Andhra Pradesh Man Arrested for Impersonating Lokayukta Officer, Extorting Mangaluru Revenue Official
**Mangaluru, December 24, 2024** – Mangaluru City police have arrested a 31-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh for allegedly attempting to extort money from a revenue officer. Dhanajaya Reddy Tota, a resident of Satyasai District, was apprehended for impersonating a Lokayukta police officer.
On April 6, 2024, Tota contacted Revenue Officer Purushottam via WhatsApp, claiming to be a Lokayukta officer investigating allegations against him. He demanded a bribe to prevent further action. The caller identified himself as D. Prabhakar, a police inspector with the Lokayukta. However, Mr. Purushottam’s verification with the Lokayukta Mangaluru office revealed no such officer. Two other TMC health inspectors also received similar extortion calls.
Following a complaint, police identified Tota as the perpetrator and subsequently arrested him. Authorities stated that Tota has a history of similar offenses, with prior accusations filed against him at Gouribidanur police station and Shabad police station in Telangana in 2019. The investigation is ongoing.
First Piper 