Hyderabad: Four arrested for impersonating Army officers to kidnap, extort people

According to police commissioner VC Sajjanar, the four accused persons detained the complainant after claiming to be officers from the Military Intelligence seeking information about a friend of the complainant’s father. They took his mobile phones and car keys, blindfolded him, and forcefully took him in a Swift DZire car to “I Health Kart”, an Ayurvedic medical store located at Hafeezpet, he said.

They had created the ambiance for interrogation by appearing in army uniform carrying weapons, hand-cuffs, walkie-talkies, and an electro shocker. As the complainant remained in hand-cuffs, they claimed that the person they were looking for was a notorious terrorist and an illegal arms dealer who needs to be neutralized. The four accused, according to the complainant, wanted his father to bring their target to their location, said Sajjanar.

The accused took Rs 26,000 from him citing the requirement for his station bail. They took away his car and deducted Rs 12,000 from e-wallet for other expenses before fleeing, and he was dropped back near BHEL township.

The RC Puram police registered a case and based on inputs, the Special Operations Team of Madhapur Zone Tuesday nabbed Nagaraju Raghu Varma. The 21-year-old went by his aliases Varun, Karthik, Colonel Karthikeya Singh, and SS Karthikeya, etc. The police also nabbed his accomplices Kallepally Rajesh(26), Laveti Rama Krishna(36), and Rabdya Jore Singh(19) Tuesday. Two army uniforms, three weapons, four fake ID cards, two handcuffs, two walkie-talkies, a leading chain, and a pair of jungle shoes were seized from them, apart from some certificates and a mobile phone.

The police investigation found that Nagaraju had aspired to become an Army officer. After completing his studies in 2016, he started working as a driver in Hyderabad. Though he applied in the Army Recruitment Rally in 2017 and 2018, his involvement in a couple of theft cases prevented him from making the cut.

However, he decided to take the shortcut and assumed the name of Colonel Karthikeya Singh alias SS Karthikeya. Then, he created fake ID cards, purchased an army uniform, and fake gallantry awards, and also two air rifles and a dummy pistol by showing his fake ID card as an army officer from Lal Bazar and Narayanaguda in Hyderabad.

Introducing himself as a Colonel, and sometimes as a Major, he cheated several persons while promising them jobs in the Indian Army and collected Rs 6.8 lakh. He rented cars and affixed them with the Indian Army’s insignia while attending public events in Army uniform. The police found that he has even inaugurated shops in his native district and had his cut-outs in the uniform placed in his hometown.

The Police found out that the accused are involved in a recent case registered in Panjagutta police station, too. A case is registered against the accused in the Poduru police station in Andhra Pradesh as well. That apart, there are two other cases registered in Sanathnagar police station and Panjagutta police station in the past.

“They will be sent for judicial remand and will be taken into police custody to elicit more facts,” said the police commissioner. The police are anticipating more victims to approach them following the arrest of the four accused persons.