The Amalapuram police on Tuesday arrested Varikuti Venkata Venudhar Prasad, a member of a rice pulling gang, who along others reportedly collected about ₹.5 crore from orthopaedic surgeon Penumatsa Ramakrishnam Raju. The doctor, his wife Lakshmi (44) and son Krishna Sandeep (24) allegedly committed suicide at their residence in Amalapuram town on August 30, due to severe financial problems.
East Godavari district Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi said the accused, Prasad, and other gang members Shavalin, Anantharam and Srinivasa Rao, collected the amount from the doctor who was in financial crisis, after after convincing him about the supernatural power of coins and rice they have.
Amalapuram Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shaik Masoom Basha presented the accused before the media. Prasad, a native of Koduru mandal in Krishna district, was deceiving the public with other gang members, on the name of rice pulling.
The gang collected about ₹5 crore in instalments from Dr. Ramakrishnam Raju, who was running Krishna Orthopaedic Multi Speciality Hospital, on High School Road in the town, the DSP said.
“We request the public not to fall in the trap of rice pulling and other gangs. Police are searching for other accused in the case,” Mr. Nayeem said.
The gang told the doctor that they have some coins and rice which have supernatural powers, which have great demand abroad. Persons, who kept the coins and rice in their houses, would get good money, Mr. Basha told the media.
“Dr. Ramakrishna paid some amount in cash and through account transfer to the accused,” said Amalapuram Town Circle Inspector Suresh Babu.
Special teams have been formed to nab the remaining accused in the case, the SP said.