SUMIT SHARMA
Udhampur: In a brazen cyber extortion attempt, BJP MLA Pawan Kumar Gupta from Udhampur West narrowly avoided being duped by a fraudster impersonating the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The scammer demanded Rs 20 lakh, claiming it was needed to purchase a plot.
The incident came to light when MLA Gupta, who also serves as the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly, received a phone call from Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Saloni Rai, IAS.
She informed him that the Chief Justice had sought his mobile number. Moments later, Gupta’s phone rang, and a man claiming to be the Chief Justice introduced himself.
Officials said the caller initially engaged in light conversation, seemingly to build trust. But abruptly, he demanded a large sum of money for the property transaction.
Sensing irregularities—especially noting the caller’s Bihari accent—MLA Gupta immediately suspected a scam.
Acting quickly, he put his phone under surveillance and confirmed that he was being targeted by a cyber fraudster.
“I realized something was wrong when the conversation turned to money. I immediately contacted the Cyber Cell of Udhampur Police and lodged a complaint,” Gupta told The News Now.
Authorities confirmed that the case is under active investigation by the Cyber Cell of Udhampur District Police.
Efforts are underway to trace the fraudster and uncover any larger network behind the scam.
This incident highlights a growing trend of cybercriminals targeting public figures and officials, exploiting trust and authority to demand money.
