PMO imposter held, ‘tried to extort money’

A man claiming to be advisor to PM Manmohan Singh has been arrested by the Delhi Police. The arrest came after PM advisor Sanjaya Baru issued a statement last week that the man, M V Rao, was trying to extort money from people by claiming to be attached to the PMO.

Baru told The Indian Express that no complaint had been filed in this regard with the Delhi Police. The police arrested the 75-year-old Rao from his Green Park house in South Delhi on February 23. The arrest was kept under wraps after the PMO intervened and the Delhi Police was directed only to register a case of impersonation at Parliament Street Police Station.

Senior officers of New Delhi district refused to comment on the arrest. But sources say that it is believed that Rao was trying to pull off a defence deal with the help of a businessman, who is yet to be arrested. “We have also recovered a visiting card which identifies Rao as defence advisor to the PM,” an official said. Sources said that there were subsequent raids by the I-T Department at Rao’s house and his office. Sources said police had also recovered Rs 1.92 crore from Rao’s house and handed it over to I-T Department.