Two arrested over CM's Relief Fund extortion in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police has arrested a retired government employee and one other for demanding Rs 21,000 as commission to release a CM’s Relief Fund cheque of Rs 75,000 for the medical expenses of the victim’s father.

The accused were identified as one Rangaiah Ramana, a former employee at the Information and Public Relations department at Hyderabad, and Keshava Reddy, an agent, who worked with Rangaiah. Another accused, Srinivas, is absconding.

The victim, Mr N. Saidulu, a native of Nalgonda district, had filed a petition for funds from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for his father Somaiah, who was suffering from a brain disease. He was undergoing treatment at Global Hospital at LB Nagar and he died in 2015 while undergoing treatment.

When Mr Saidulu was planning to file a petition for expenses for his father’s treatment before his death, he met Srinivas, an agent from Nalgonda, who promised to process the file and get the amount sanctioned, for which he initially collected Rs 6,500. Later he introduced Saidulu to Ramana and Keshav Reddy, who pursued the file.

“The amount of Rs 75,000 was sanctioned a few days ago. After the cheque was released, Ramana started forcing Saidulu to pay Rs 21,000 as commission for pursuing the file and sanctioning the amount,” said Mr D. Narsimha Reddy, sub inspector from L.B. Nagar police station. He added that the role of employees in CMRF department was also being probed.

When Mr Saidulu refused to pay the amount, they threatened him with dire consequences. Mr Saidulu informed the police fearing an attack from Ramana and Keshav Reddy. Police laid a trap and apprehended the two while they were accepting the amount from Mr Saidulu at Karmanghat on Friday.

A case for extortion has been registered against the trio and Ramana and Keshav Reddy were produced before court. A hunt is on to nab Srinivas.