Gang cheating public in garb of hidden treasures nabbed in Kothagudem

Then the gang took the traders to a forest area in Sativarigudem near Murredu stream and made them believe that they had a treasure of Rs.2 crore while asking the traders to pay Rs.50 lakh to own the treasure

Kothagudem: Police busted a gang cheating people in the name of treasure hunts and arrested six persons here on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media at Laxmidevipally police station, Kothagudem DSP Sk Abdul Raheman said a 11-member gang led by Manikala Krishna of Morampalli Banjar of Burgampad mandal in the district deceived people to make easy money. Recently, the gang contacted sheep traders B Buchaiah, Velpula Kiran and L Lingaiah of Miryala village of Nutankal mandal in Suryapet district with a bid to trap them. The traders were summoned to Paloncha for trading sheep.

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Then the gang took the traders to a forest area in Sativarigudem near Murredu stream and made them believe that they had a treasure of Rs.2 crore while asking the traders to pay Rs.50 lakh to own the treasure. The gang also took Rs.50,000 from the “treasure” and gave it to the traders.On December 9, the traders who trusted the gang, brought Rs.40 lakh and gave it to the gang. The gang members handed over a sack with bundles of white paper and fled the scene. They later shared the money, with a lion’s share going to Krishna.

During vehicle inspections at Anishettypalli, Laxmidevipalli SI and staff spotted a car coming towards Kothagudem from Yellandu. On seeing the police the car driver tried to reverse the vehicle to go back, but the police chased and caught them, the DSP said.

Later the police identified the occupants in the car as the accused involved in cheating the sheep traders. Police seized Rs.30.46 lakh from the accused. Krishna was involved in cheating cases in Kothagudem Three-Town, VM Banjar, Dammapet, Tungaturthy and Kusumanchi police limits and was jailed earlier as well.Krishna along with Daramsoth Srinu, Gudavalli Prashanth, Ravi, Tejavath Shiva and Banoth Naresh were arrested while Nellula Venkanna, Laxman, Bhukya Naga, Tejavath Ramu and Dharavath Ravi were absconding.