In a startling incident, the Maharashtra Cyber Police have detained a businessman from Mumbai for impersonating Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel. The accused, Rahul Kant, allegedly used Patel’s identity to contact the Royal Family of Qatar via WhatsApp, requesting financial assistance.
Rahul Kant, a resident of Juhu, was taken into custody following an investigation. Kant reportedly used a VIP number to approach a prince from the Qatari royal family, seeking funds for his mother’s medical treatment. During interrogation, Kant claimed that his mother was seriously ill and that he was financially incapable of covering her medical expenses.
Special IG of Maharashtra Cyber Police, Yashasvi Yadav, addressed the media, highlighting the increasing trend of impersonation and defamation of prominent figures on social media. "The accused is a Juhu-based businessman whose venture failed. Desperate for money, he resorted to using a paid application that provides access to personal numbers of VIPs. He obtained Praful Patel’s number and, posing as him, used Patel’s display picture on WhatsApp to contact the Qatari royals," Yadav said.
The incident came to light on July 20 when the Qatari royals informed Patel about the suspicious WhatsApp conversation, initially leading Patel to believe his phone was hacked.
Kant has been booked under sections of the Information Technology Act, along with charges of forgery and cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sahita. The WhatsApp account Kant used has since been deactivated, and the police continue to investigate the matter.