Kozhikode: The owner of the SIM card used to make a fake phone call offering a ministerial position to Elathur MLA Vidya Balakrishnan has been identified, police said.

The SIM card was registered in the name of a Delhi resident, who has admitted that the number belonged to him. However, he denied involvement in making the call and told investigators that his mobile phone had been stolen.

Police have not disclosed further details about the SIM card holder. The investigation into the case is continuing.

A police team from Kerala had questioned the man in detail in Delhi on Tuesday. A special investigation team formed by Kozhikode City Police Commissioner had been conducting an extensive probe in the national capital over the past few days.

Vidya Balakrishnan had received a message claiming that a Kerala Cabinet reshuffle was imminent and offering her a ministerial post in exchange for Rs 3 crore. The MLA received the call at around 2 pm on July 6 from a person who falsely claimed to be Rajkumar from Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s Delhi office.

After learning about the incident, Priyanka Gandhi intervened and sent Vidya a voice message from the actual Rajkumar. The MLA later confirmed that the voices of the two individuals were different.

Vidya subsequently approached Kozhikode City Police Commissioner A.P. Shoukathali and filed a complaint on Saturday.

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Following the complaint, police registered a case for impersonation and attempted cheating, along with charges under Section 66D of the Information Technology Act. Cyber Crime Assistant Commissioner S.M. Pradeep Kumar of Kozhikode City Police is leading the investigation.

Earlier, cyber police had found that the SIM card used in the incident was registered to an address in Delhi, following which the investigation team travelled to the capital.

Apart from Vidya Balakrishnan, other Congress leaders also reportedly received similar fraudulent calls offering senior positions in exchange for money. Congress MPs Shafi Parambil and Dean Kuriakose were among those who received messages allegedly promising high-ranking posts after payment.

The Wayanad cyber police have also registered cases and begun investigations into these incidents based on a complaint filed by D.S. Rajkumar, private secretary to Priyanka Gandhi MP.