By Tejas

Pune, August 12, 2024:In a shocking cybercrime incident, Member of Parliament Supriya Sule's WhatsApp account, along with the accounts of 20 other officials from the NCP (SP) party, was hacked. The hacker reportedly demanded $200 (approximately Rs 16,000) from Sule's account and between 15,000 to 20,000 rupees from the accounts of other party officials.

The hacking incident comes amidst a wave of similar cyberattacks targeting political leaders. On August 8, Sule took to social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to inform the public about her hacked WhatsApp account. She immediately lodged a complaint with the Yavat police station, leading to a swift response from law enforcement and technical teams. Fortunately, Sule's phone and WhatsApp account were restored to normalcy within a short period of time.

According to initial investigations, the hacker is believed to be operating from Bihar. The hacker demanded money through a PhonePe account registered under the name Bhalkesh Kumar. The police are actively searching for the suspect.

After her WhatsApp account was hacked, it was said by sources that the hacker demanded $200 (approximately 16000 rupees) from her account and 15000 to 20000 from another official's account.

After regaining control of her account, Sule expressed her gratitude on X, thanking the WhatsApp team and Pune Rural Police for their prompt assistance. She wrote, "My phone and WhatsApp are back to normal. The WhatsApp team provided valuable support. Many thanks to Team WhatsApp and Pune Rural Police for this. If anyone has messaged me in the meantime, I apologise for not being able to reply due to this technical glitch."