Mangaluru: A woman in Mangaluru was allegedly defrauded of Rs 7.76 lakh after falling victim to an online lottery scam falsely linked to the popular television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).

The incident began on May 23 when the woman came across a Facebook post claiming to be associated with KBC. After clicking on the link and submitting some details, she received a phone call on May 27 from a man identifying himself as "Sanjeev Kumar," who claimed to represent the KBC office in Delhi, as reported by Deccan Herald on Sunday.

The caller informed her that she had won a cash prize of Rs 8 lakh and requested her Aadhaar number, PAN card, and a photograph. She submitted the details via WhatsApp.

Subsequently, the caller demanded payments for registration, TDS, and various processing charges, promising that the amounts would be reimbursed along with the prize money.

Believing the claims, the woman transferred a total of Rs 7.76 lakh in multiple installments through Google Pay between May 27 and July 19, added the report.

After realising she had been duped, the victim lodged a complaint with the Urva Police Station. Authorities have registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.

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New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.

The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.

When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.

"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."


Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."

Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."

Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.

"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."