Vijayawada: 5 held for stealing digital signatures of CMO staff

Vijayawada : The AP CID police took into custody five persons on the charges of theft of digital signatures in Chief Minister’s Office, following a complaint lodged by CMO officials on August 11.

According to CID SP Vishnuvardhana Raju, the accused Kanamarla Srinu, ex data entry operator at secretary R Mutyalaraju peshi, Guttula Sitaramaiah, attender at secretary Dhanunjay Reddy peshi, Nalajala Sairam, DEO at chief secretary K S Jawahar Reddy peshi, Bhukya Chaitanya Nayak, DEO at secretary Mutyala Raju peshi and Abdul Razak, attender at chief secretary Jawahar Reddy peshi were arrested.

Speaking to media persons at CID office at Mangalagiri on Saturday, the CID SP said that the accused used to login e-office of secretaries of CMO stealing username and password and prepare Chief Minister’s petitions (CMP) using the digital signatures of secretaries through e-office and forward the files for respective departments for further action.

He said the first accused Kanamarla Srinu of Mutyalaraju peshi using e-office knowledge used to steal the e-office login user name without the knowledge of secretaries and forward the CMPs to concerned departments.

He said all the five accused formed into a team to forward the CMPs, stealing the digital signatures of the secretaries by collecting money from the applicants.

The SP said when the first accused Kanamarla Srinu sent a CMP of home department to secretary Dhanunjaya Reddy peshi, doubting the CMP, the officials inquired the matter and removed Srinu from the job. Even after his removal also the team continued their operations and the CMO officials identified 66 CMPs are fake.

The CID inquired into the issue and found out that the accused used to collect Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 to process each file by misusing digital signatures.

The SP said all the five accused were taken into custody and will be sent to remand.