Hyderabad, June 9: Four persons were arrested for allegedly cheating passport applicants by falsely promising to clear pending passport applications within a day, the Malkajgiri Special Operations Team (SOT) and Monda Market Police said.
The accused were identified as Shivaratri Siddulu, T. Venkatesh, V. Ashwin Kumar, all residents of Addagutta, and P. Deepak of Alwal.
Passport Applicants Cheated by Gang in Hyderabad
According to police, the gang operated near the Secunderabad Passport Office and targeted applicants whose passport requests were pending. The accused allegedly claimed they had contacts within the system and could expedite the process for a fee.
The case surfaced after Shaheen Sultana approached the passport office regarding her grandson’s passport application, which had remained pending since June last year.
Police said Siddulu allegedly introduced himself as a passport broker and assured Sultana that the issue would be resolved within a day. He reportedly collected Rs 6,000 from her but failed to deliver on the promise.
When Sultana contacted him again on June 4, Siddulu allegedly demanded additional money and threatened that the passport would not be issued if she refused to pay.
Realising she had been cheated, Sultana lodged a complaint with the Monda Market Police.
Based on the complaint, the Malkajgiri SOT conducted an operation and apprehended the four accused. They were later handed over to the Monda Market Police for further investigation.
Police are now examining whether the gang cheated other passport applicants using a similar modus operandi. Further investigation is underway.
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