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2 min readRaipurUpdated: May 28, 2026 05:22 AM IST
The incident took place around 8:24 pm Sunday, when BJP MLA Purandar Mishra allegedly received a phone call on his number.
A 35-year-old man from Odisha was arrested Tuesday night by Raipur Police for allegedly impersonating the personal assistant of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Nabin and scamming a BJP MLA from Raipur into transferring Rs 10,000 online.
The incident took place around 8:24 pm Sunday, when BJP MLA Purandar Mishra allegedly received a phone call on his number. Truecaller allegedly showed the caller as Nitin Nabin’s personal assistant, who claimed his car had run out of petrol and was stranded in a jungle area with family members.When Mishra agreed to help, he received another call from a different number under the name, and allegedly transferred Rs 10,000 through UPI.
Soon, the unknown mobile number holder repeatedly called Mishra demanding more money, raising suspicion. When Mishra discussed the incident with others, he realised he had been cheated, and approached police.
During investigation, police realised it was a case of cyber fraud and, based on call data records, arrested the accused, Sahadev Malik, from Talda in Puri, Odisha. “The accused must have got the complainant’s number from the internet. When we checked his records, he had tried to dupe more people using the same modus operandi,” a police officer said.
Incidentally, last year another Raipur MLA, Sunil Kumar Soni, had raised the issue of rising cybercrime in Chhattisgarh, especially in the capital Raipur. Responding to the question, Home Minister Vijay Sharma had said cybercriminals in Chhattisgarh cheated 1,301 victims of Rs 107.03 crore in 18 months (January 2024 to June 2025), of which Chhattisgarh police managed to recover Rs 3.36 crore.
Of the Rs 107 crore lost across 33 districts, Raipur accounted for Rs 47.57 crore, followed by Bilaspur district at Rs 10.2 crore and Durg district at Rs 9.65 crore, the minister had said.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation.
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