HYDERABAD: Rachakonda police on Friday arrested one Anugu Surender Reddy, along with his three associates, on charges of impersonating Vem Narender Reddy, the adviser to the chief minister, and fleecing about 100 people of Rs 1.04 crore.
Surender Reddy, aided by Merina Rose, Banda Venkatesh and Bolugula Lingaiah, are accused of promising government benefits and job placements to their victims.
Briefing reporters, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Sudheer Babu said that Surender Reddy is a mid-day meals organiser at the ZPHS Kushaiguda. “Sometimes impersonating Vem Narender Reddy and sometimes claiming high-level governmental influence, he convinced his victims that he could secure transfers, 2BHK allotments, and positions within the Food Corporation of India. He managed to lure his victims into paying huge sums for these nonexistent benefits,” the police commissioner said.
Merina Rose is accused of introducing victims to Surender Reddy, who were then asked to give Rs 5 lakh each for getting 2BHK flats that were never allocated. Rose, along with Banda Venkatesh and Bolugula Lingaiah, is accused of participating in similar schemes, promising jobs and other benefits, and extracting around Rs 18.5 lakh from victims.
The police commissioner asked the general public to never approach any person or middleman for getting 2BHKs allocated.