Astrologer held with Rs 17.72 crore fake currency

HYDERABAD:  In an interesting case, an astrologer who predicted the future of several clients while plying them with gemstones to fast-track their prosperity, ran into bad luck when he lodged a complaint of theft with the police. Bellamkonda Muralikrishna Sarma lodged a complaint of theft of precious stones and cash from his residence in Nagole on June 15. But when police investigated the case, they realised he was a high-profile counterfeit currency peddler.

The Rachakonda police were startled to discover that Sarma had served a sentence in jail in the past in a case investigated by the CBI in which he had tried to transfer `90 crore fake currency through a bank.The burglars who were six in number are also behind bars now. They are: Velpuri Pawan Kumar, Dondapati Ramakrishna, Nallabothula Suresh Gopi, Chanduluri Vijay Kumar, Kambhampati Surya and Chandaluri Nagendra Prasad Sarma, who is in fact a relative of the astrologer. On June 15, Sarma lodged the complaint with the police that six persons broke into his house and made off with `6 lakh cash and gemstones, which the astrologer sells.

Loot was full of fake notes

The six accused, while fleeing to Vijayawada from Hyderabad, opened their bags to get a closer look of their loot and were shocked to find that the currency was counterfeit. They purchased petrol at Narketpalli and set fire to the counterfeit notes as keeping them would invite trouble from the police.Meanwhile, police who were investigating Sarma’s complaint, zeroed in on Velpuri Pawan Kumar at Piduguralla in Guntur district. 

He is the main accused in the theft of notes at the astrologer’s house. After interrogating him, the police arrested the remaining five and learnt about the burning of fake currency. The police then arrested Sarma for peddling counterfeit currency. 

‘Earn riches my way’
While interrogating Sarma, the police came to know that he would tell clients that the precious stones had helped him earn riches. He used to flaunt the fake currency to trick them into believing him. The police then searched Sarma’s house and flushed out fake currency of a face value of Rs 17.72 crore. Further interrogation revealed that Sarma was also involved in an attempt to transfer Rs 90 crore fake currency through a bank to an institution in Visakhapatnam from Mangalagiri in Guntur district. But bank officials who suspected foul play stopped the transaction and handed over the investigation to the CBI, which arrested him. Sarma, after release from prison on bail, resumed his gemstones business.