Hyderabad: The Afzalgunj police have caught the leader of a gang that tricks people out of money. This group was operating across different states. They arrested Jaya Kumar from Karnataka and found Rs 40 lakh in cash with him.
Jaya Kumar, 50, is the leader. His partners, Uday Reddy and Sandeep Raghu, who are also from Raichur, Karnataka, are still on the run.
The gang’s method involved promising victims they could buy real gold at half the usual price. Once the victims were interested, the gang would then deceive them and steal their money.
Dr. B Balaswamy, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the East Zone, explained an incident from May 12. A real estate businessman, Munukuntla Niranjan from Choutuppal, complained about being scammed on March 20. He got a call from someone claiming to be ‘Reddy’, offering gold at a cheap rate. After several calls, Niranjan and his partner, Dharmender, met with Reddy and his partner, Raghu, in Pedda Amberpet to finalize the deal.
On May 12, the gang asked Niranjan to bring money to Dilsukhnagar. He arrived with Rs 65 lakh in a bag. At Putlibowli, they exchanged bags, but instead of gold, the bag contained stones wrapped in sarees. As the gang fled on bikes without license plates, Niranjan realized he had been duped. Attempts to contact Reddy failed as his phone was off.
Upon receiving the complaint, police formed a special team. They used technology, CCTV footage, and field inquiries to trace the criminals.
This investigation revealed the gang’s members: Jaya Kumar, Uday, and Sandeep from Raichur, Karnataka. On June 22, police arrested Jaya Kumar near CBS. They recovered Rs 40 lakh and a car used in the crime. Police are still searching for the remaining gang members.
