Conman dupes film producers
HYDERABAD: A building designer, who extorted money from people including film producers C Kalyan and Singanamala Ramesh by posing as an officer of the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI), was nabbed by the Task Force sleuths here on Monday.
The sleuths seized one Hyundai i20 car, two mobile phones, one laptop and fake letters of Central Vigilance Commission from him.
The accused, Karmuri Venkata Ratna Reddy (36) alias Ratna Reddy alias KVR Reddy of Nehru Nagar in Guntur, had been arrested in the past for similar offences.
He tried to trick people in SR Nagar police limits by posing as a Central Vigilance Commission officer. After release from jail, he was caught again in two other cases in Arundalpet and Kothapet police limits in Guntur.
According to the police, the accused, after watching an episode on Kalyan and Singanamala Ramesh's financial disputes on television in 2009, hatched a plan to cheat them.
He rang up Kalyan a few days ago and introduced himself as K Venkat Ratna Reddy, additional commissioner, DRI. He met Kalyan and Ramesh at Westin Hotel on May 13, saying he was investigating the financial fraud cases pertaining to them. He introduced two persons to the producer duo as an auditor and a legal advisor of the DRI.
On the pretext of helping the producers, he demanded `10 to `12 lakh from them and brought his friend Ramachandra D Paramar alias Ravi Paramar from Mumbai to Hyderabad by flight. Ravi was introduced to Kalyan as a DRI auditor.
'To convince the producers, the accused showed them a signed declaration of investigation with the logo of the Central Vigilance Commission printed on it and took the money,' police said.
The accused also confessed that he had threatened one project manager of Ramky Constructions on phone. He also tried to cheat one Mukesh by promising him that he would arrange bail to GS Gupta in the DLF fraud case.
The accused also confessed that he had got one plot registered in his name by submitting forged documents. The accused was handed over to Banjara Hills police.
News Posted: 22 May, 2012
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