The Uppal Police in Hyderabad on Thursday arrested two people for allegedly duping 161 people including several unemployed youth under the guise of providing jobs in the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL). The accused were identified as Velagapudi Rama Krishna and Chilla Mahalakshmi. Two others, Gaddam Sridhar Reddy and Bandaru Laxman Rao were said to be absconding.
In a press release, the Rachakonda police said, “The accused, Ramakrishna, is a native of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh and had migrated to Hyderabad long ago. He worked as a Public Relation Officer in several sectors and cheated unemployed youth in Telangana and Andhra by collecting a huge amount from them. 15 cases were registered against him in different police stations across the Telugu states.”
“In 2017, he got acquainted to Mahalakshmi and later with the other two accused, who colluded and hatched a plan,” the release added.
The police said that they would lure unemployed youth with an offer to provide jobs with the HMRL and collect a large amount from them and then transfer the money into one of their accounts, before sharing it among themselves.
“When the victims later started demanding their jobs, the accused created a fake email ID and fake appointment orders and sent the same to the candidates. However, when the victims approached the office of the Metro Rail, they realized that they had been cheated,” the police said.
Investigation officials seized one car, two cell phones, fake order copies of 161 ‘candidates’ and around Rs 70,000 in cash from the possession of the accused.
The Hyderabad Metro Rail was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2017, who flagged off a stretch between Nagole and Ameerpet.
Since then the stretch from LB Nagar to Ameerpet has also been opened. Presently, work is being undertaken on metro stretch between Ameerpet and Hitec City, which is expected to be opened for the public soon.