Hyderabad: Man posing as high-ranking government official dupes people of Rs 3 crore, arrested

A 36-year-old real estate broker and his two associates were arrested by Hyderabad police Tuesday for impersonating a high-ranking government official and cheating nearly 100 persons of around Rs 3 crore after promising them favours.

Addressing the press, Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar said that one Avushodapu Sudhakar collected huge amounts on the pretext of providing them double-bedroom houses under the state government’s flagship scheme, allotment of government lands, jobs in the government sector, and even promised to arrange gold at a price cheaper than the market price.

Sudhakar had employed Sangoju Naga Raju (35) and Battala Bheemaiah (32), who moved along with him as security guards, and also carried a toy pistol for his security, said police.

Police recovered Rs 1.30 crore in cash and property documents worth another Rs 1.30 crore from the accused. They also recovered fake Telangana Secretariat ID cards, Voter ID cards, Police ID cards, fake entry passes to the Secretariat, 14 mobile phones, and a Toyota Fortuner SUV. The total worth of seized material is pegged at Rs 2.20 crore.

The prime accused, Sudhakar, a class V dropout, has worked as a driver in the Tourism department and also the Tribal Welfare department in the Secretariat between 2004 and 2010, police said.

Sudhakar was earlier booked in two cases in 2008 and 2010. At present, in 2021, as many as eight cases on charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, etc are registered in different police stations of Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda police commissionerates. Based on a tip-off, the North Zone team of Commissioner’s Task Force along with SR Nagar police laid a trap and nabbed the accused on Tuesday.