CBI books Delhi conman for impersonating PMO official to seek favors from Andhra, Karnataka

New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a Delhi resident for allegedly impersonating a senior official from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to seek favours from public institutions in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, including the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).

The FIR, filed based on a complaint from an Assistant Director in the PMO, cites three instances where the accused sought benefits by posing as an officer from the country’s top executive office.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI booked P. Rama Rao, a resident of Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating, impersonation, and forgery, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act.

The cases include :

He was trying to secure admission for a candidate at the prestigious Symbiosis International University in Pune.

He requested a special VIP darshan for Tirumala Venkateswara Swami Temple.

He asked a tahsildar in Mysuru to provide some land documents.

According to the complaint dated August 21, Rao attempted to secure admission for a candidate at Symbiosis International University, Pune, requested VIP darshan at the Tirumala temple, and sought land documents from a tahsildar in Mysuru.

In a letter dated May 1, 2025, Rao allegedly wrote to TTD authorities stating that “Dr. P. Rama Rao and family” would visit Tirumala on May 9 and requested Suprabhatam Darshan on May 10, along with three AC double rooms for accommodation on May 9 and 11.

In another instance, he reportedly called the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Symbiosis University, posing as a Joint Secretary in the PMO, and sought admission for a student, misusing the PMO’s name and claiming the matter required “urgent consideration.”

A third incident involved a forged letter purportedly from C. Sridhar, Joint Secretary to the Prime Minister, addressed to the tahsildar in Mysuru seeking land records. The PMO later confirmed that the mobile number mentioned in the letter matched the one used to contact Symbiosis University.

The CBI is investigating further to determine the extent of the impersonation and whether others were involved.