Telangana: Man Arrested for Impersonating Officer, Seeking Rs.3 Crore

Hyderabad: A man was arrested and sent to judicial remand following a complaint by the Medchal Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) for impersonating an officer and demanding Rs.3 crore from Gangasthan Venture in Somaram village of Medchal mandal.

Identified as Mahendra Reddy from Pudduru village in Medchal mandal, the accused approached B.L. Reddy of Gangasthan Venture, falsely claiming to act on orders from the Medchal tahsildar. Initially demanding a cheque of Rs.2 lakh, Reddy later escalated his demand to `3 crore under threat of shutting down the venture.

Upon learning of the extortion attempt, Medchal tahsildar Shailaja lodged a complaint with Medchal police, leading to the registration of a case against Mahendra Reddy under Sections 420 (cheating), 419 (punishment for cheating by impersonation), and 170 (personating a public servant) of the IPC.

Medchal sub-inspector Murlidhar stated, "The accused has a history of blackmailing and cheating people by impersonating an officer. While three cases have been formally registered against him, he is believed to have been involved in numerous similar incidents. However, villagers have been hesitant to come forward."

Detailing Reddy's modus operandi, Murlidhar added, "He typically poses as a government official, demands money, and resorts to threats when questioned. He avoids using specific officials' names to evade detection."

It was revealed that Mahendra Reddy had previously been convicted in a 2015 land trespassing case. Despite being sent for judicial remand in this recent case, he has been granted bail by the magistrate.