Fake policemen gang held for kidnapping, Rs 6 lakh extortion in Hyderabad

Cyberabad police arrested four persons for allegedly posing as policemen and kidnapping businessmen to extort money. The gang used fake IDs and uniforms to deceive victims. Over Rs 6 lakh was extorted, and multiple fake documents and weapons were seized.

Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police arrested four persons who were misrepresenting themselves as policemen and carrying out kidnappings, extortion, wrongful confinement, and other organised crimes in the city. Two of their associates are absconding.

According to police, a man, Kavuri Purnachandra Rao (42), a resident of Jayanagar in Kukatpally, approached the police and made a complaint stating that on May 18, the victim was travelling towards Prashanth Nagar when he was intercepted near Subhodaya Colony by a group of individuals who claimed to be policemen. They informed Purnachandra that a case was pending against him in Haryana and he had to accompany them for investigation.

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“The six-member gang bundled Purnachandra in a car and took him to Suryapet where they forced him to withdraw Rs 1 lakh. They then headed back to Hyderabad and made him transfer Rs 5.26 lakh through online payment gateways. The gang members snatched away his phone and released him at Kukatpally,” said DCP Qutbullapur, N Koti Reddy.

During the investigation, police found that the gang specifically targeted businessmen and wealthy persons by impersonating as police and used fake police identity cards, uniforms and rank badges.

The arrested persons are Nagaraju Raghu Varma alias Colonel Karthikeya Singh of Andhra Pradesh, Yashwanth Singh alias Rahul of Uttar Pradesh, Satyabhan Singh alias Thakur of Uttar Pradesh, and Tangellapalli Nagendra Varma of Mahabubabad district. Two other accused, Pradeep Kumar Mishra and Sunil Kumar alias Fauji, are absconding.

The police seized mobile phones, an air pistol, a country-made 7.65 mm firearm, a laptop, police uniforms, fake police identity cards, rank badges, police logos, handcuffs, counterfeit vehicle number plates, a car, a motorcycle, forged court documents, magistrate stamps, government department letterheads, and other incriminating materials from them.