Two Arrested for Impersonating TN Minister to Broker Cabinet Post

Two men have been arrested in Chennai for allegedly impersonating Tamil Nadu's Public Works and Sports Development Minister, Aadhav Arjuna. The suspects, identified as Ruben Raj, 27, and Sakthi Arjun, 21, are accused of creating a fake email account in the minister's name to solicit ₹8 crore.

The alleged scheme involved promising a cabinet position to Vellore TVK MLA M.M. Vinoth Kannan. Ruben Raj reportedly used his laptop to establish the fraudulent email and then sent a doctored screenshot of a purported confirmation message to an intermediary via WhatsApp, intending to convince the MLA's office that the offer was legitimate.

The MLA's office reportedly became suspicious and initiated contact with the accused. A group video call exposed the alleged impersonation and fraudulent intent. The investigation by the Villivakkam police led to the arrest of Ruben Raj from Vellore district and Sakthi Arjun from Chennai.

Authorities seized two mobile phones and a CPU from the arrested individuals. Both were presented before a court on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. The case was registered based on a complaint alleging criminal conspiracy, including the creation of fake electronic documents and dissemination of false information.