NOIDA: A news channel staffer allegedly impersonated as the personal assistant for personal secretary of Prime Minister to get a job in a Noida-based private news channel.
Sector 20 police, Noida, has arrested the accused Bharat Verma, who contacted the news channel’s CEO first via email and later through WhatsApp and voice calls and told him to help him get a job.
It was later found that Bharat who was associated with a media house was unhappy with the salary cut announced by his office during Covid times and wanted to work with a bigger brand.
According to police, the CEO complained about the incident to Noida police and the accused was later arrested after it was found that he used a picture of the real PS to PM Vivek Kumar while contacting his channel.
The phone and SIM card used by the accused have been recovered.
DCP (Noida) Rajesh S said that a complaint was received from the CEO of a Noida-based private news channel, that one person had sent him an email saying that the personal secretary to PM would speak to him.
The accused impersonated as Abhijeet, the personal assistant to the PS to PM Narendra Modi between June 18 and 22 via WhatsApp chats and SMS and voice calls,.
“The next day, a person claiming to be the PS of the PM called and claimed that one person called Bharat Verma should be given a job in the channel and he was sending his resume.
He wrote a message to the CEO on Whatsapp.
When he reached the interview, the staff had some doubts and it was found that Bharat Sharma impersonated via the message,” he said.
It was found that Bharat gathered information about the PM’s close staff using research.
“His Twitter handle and WhatsApp were checked.
He worked on the desk in a media house and to get a better job, he used the trick.
So far, it seems he hasn’t approached anyone else.
At present, due to Covid times, the salary at his current place of employment has been slashed and he wanted to work for a bigger brand,” he said.
“He researched and thought that if he used high approach, he would get a job easily,” the DCP added.
Two mobile phones and two SIM cards have been recovered from Bharat’s possession.
A resident of Haryana’s Bahadurgarh, Bharat Sharma stays in Gaur City Avenue.
An FIR has been lodged against him under IPC Sections 419 and 170.
Bharat has worked as a sales manager in a private company in 2012 but later joined a major news channel.