HYDERABAD: A fake police officer was apprehended for extorting money from couples on Necklace Road (PV Narasimha Rao Marg), a popular hangout for lovers, by threatening to book cases against them.
According to the police, the accused, identified as Marathi Srujan Kumar, 45, was involved in the real estate business as a broker and is based from Janagaon.
Donning a police officer’s uniform, he used to flash a photo of his late SI wife and collect money. He used to claim that he should give the money he was collecting from couples to the woman SI in the photo. He would also show a photo of him holding a gun to threaten couple.
Srujan would approach couples spending time together on the picturesque Necklace Road stretch during the night with a torch and would manipulate the circumstances, accusing the couples of indulging in ‘indecent activities.’In an attempt to intimidate the victims, he would threaten to register criminal cases against them and tarnish their reputation.
Once he was sure that the couple was frightened out of their wits, he would demand a substantial sum of money in exchange for not proceeding with the registerion of case. Many of the victims, fearing serious consequences, reportedly acquiesced to his demands by handing over money to avoid any legal complications.
The accused committed similar offences since 2007 and was apprehended by the Task Force earlier in 2018. Srujan Kumar was earlier arrested in 18 cases in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and is also facing two non-bailable warrants (NBW) pending against him in Asif Nagar police station.