Hoax Caller Impersonates Jay Shah, Offers Manipur MLAs Ministerial Roles For INR 4 Crore: Report

A hoax caller reportedly impersonated International Cricket Council (ICC) chief and Union home minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, and offered ministerial positions to Manipur MLAs for INR 4 crore. Manipur Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh is purportedly among those who received the call. (More Cricket News)

The violent conflict between Meitei and Kuki communities, which led to the resignation of chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, has left the state of Manipur in perpetual chaos. The subsequent imposition of President's rule and placing of the legislative assembly under suspended animation has kept the likelihood of government formation in the future alive, which the fraudulent caller appears to have exploited.

“For the past 3-4 days (before February 15), I was getting repeated calls on WhatsApp from an unidentified number. There was no display picture. When I called back on the number, the person said he is Jay Shah and demanded INR 4 crore for government formation. I have reported the matter to police,” Assembly Speaker Singh was quoted as saying in a The Hindu report.

A similar case has reportedly emerged in Uttarakhand, where BJP MLA Adesh Chauhan allegedly received a call from someone identifying himself as Jay Shah and seeking a "donation of INR 5 lakh", according to an Indian Express report. An FIR has since been registered in the matter.

According to the FIR, the report added, the caller claimed that home minister Amit Shah was busy with engagements in Delhi and had tasked him as well as Harish Nadda, the son of BJP national president JP Nadda, with taking decisions for Uttarakhand.

The 36-year-old Jay Shah was formerly the BCCI secretary and was elected unopposed as the ICC chair in August 2024, after the incumbent Greg Barclay chose not to seek a third term. Shah assumed office on December 1, which is when his tenure began.