Six-member gang held for impersonating cops

Hyderabad: The Jagathgirigutta police on Wednesday arrested six persons who allegedly extorted money by impersonating police officers. During the investigation, police found that the accused had become acquainted with one another while serving time in jail. The arrested were identified as Nagaraju Raghu Varma from Andhra Pradesh; Yeswanth Singh and Sathyabhan Singh from Uttar Pradesh; Rahul and Pradeep Kumar Mishra from Bihar, and Thangellapalli Nagendra Varma from Hyderabad. Sunil Kumar, a native of Haryana, is absconding.According to police officials, they received a complaint from K Purnachandra Rao on May 18, stating that while travelling on a two-wheeler, he was intercepted by a group of men travelling in a car near Shobodhaya Colony. Three of the accused gout out of the vehicle and approached him, claiming to be police officials. They allegedly threatened him, saying that he was wanted in a case registered by Haryana police, and forced him into their car.On the pretext of conducting an investigation, the accused allegedly snatched his mobile phone, ATM card and cash. They also compelled him to disclose his banking credentials. Using his ATM card and online banking, the accused allegedly withdrew and transferred a total of Rs 5.2 lakh. They ‘released’ him later, assuring him that the money would be returned after ‘verification’.“To make the operation appear genuine, the accused arranged a fake video call in which one of them impersonated a police officer from Haryana. The complainant was taken to Suryapet, where Rs 1 lakh was withdrawn from his bank account through ATM transactions. Another Rs 1 lakh was transferred through PhonePe, while additional amounts were siphoned off through online banking applications,” Cyberabad police said.“The gang targeted businessmen and financially well-off individuals. They used fake police uniforms, identity cards, rank badges, and insignia to impersonate police officers. Victims were intercepted, falsely informed about criminal cases, forcibly confined, and coerced into transferring money through ATM withdrawals, online banking, and digital payment platforms,” police said.Police said Raghu is a habitual offender involved in 12 similar cases across Cyberabad, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand. He was previously detained under the PD Act, and a history sheet was opened against him in Poduru police station. The police seized mobile phones, laptops, one air pistol and one country-made 7.65 mm pistol, police uniforms, fake ID cards, rank badges, insignia, handcuffs, batons, police stamps, name plates, shoes, fake govt documents, letter pads, and court seals, fake number plates, SIM cards, vehicles including Tata Tiago car, and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycles from the accused.