Hyderabad:A 24-year-old man from Gudimalkapur, Mehdipatnam, fell victim to an online sextortion scam and lost Rs 1.8 lakh to cyber fraudsters who blackmailed him with an edited video and repeated cash demands.According to police, the victim connected with a woman on the a dating app. Claiming to be from Pune and staying in Hyderabad for three weeks, she moved the conversation to WhatsApp and requested a video call during which the victim showed only his face. Soon after, she sent him an edited nude video, accessed his Facebook details, and threatened to share the clip with his contacts.Under pressure, the victim paid Rs 50,000 in multiple UPI transfers. The accused later demanded another Rs 70,000 for “removing the video,” followed by Rs 60,000. Despite paying Rs 1.8 lakh, the extortion continued with fresh demands for Rs 1.3 lakh. Realising the pattern, the victim sought help from family and was advised to lodge a complaint.Rachakonda police release Ganesh festival guidelinesHyderabad:The Rachakonda police commissionerate said it was gearing up for the Lord Ganesha festival and immersion ceremonies from August 27 to September 6. Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu noted that special measures would be taken for Milad-un-Nabi on September 5.Sudheer Babu said extra security would be in place along procession routes, sensitive areas, and high-traffic zones to ensure communal harmony and public safety.In 2024, the commissionerate witnessed 13,472 idol installations — 4,644 in Malkajgiri, 3,385 in LB Nagar, 2,175 in Maheshwaram and 3,268 in Bhongir. About 1,029 idols were immersed at Tank Bund, while 36 cases were registered during the celebrations. The commissioner issued a series of guidelines on safety, security, hygiene and parking aspects.The commissioner has issued the following directives. Organisers have been directed to use only clay idols, avoid Plaster of Paris (PoP), and ensure temporary mandaps are built with proper wiring, barricades and fire safety equipment. Idols must not obstruct public roads or be placed at sensitive or disputed sites. Parking must be arranged in designated areas, and immersion on the 3rd, 5th, or 7th day is encouraged to ease congestion on the final day. Excessive decorative lighting, drones and roadside vendors are prohibited. DJs, non-devotional music, alcohol, gambling and firecrackers are also banned. Loudspeakers can be used only with prior permission, between 6 am and 10 pm, and organisers must avoid noise near hospitals, schools and religious institutions.For processions and immersions, only fit vehicles with serial numbers issued by police will be permitted, each carrying one idol. PoP idols must be immersed in artificial ponds created by authorities. Procession routes will be fixed in advance and local SHOs must be informed before Tank Bund immersions. Weapons, provocative speeches, firecrackers and intoxicated participants are strictly barred.The commissionerate appealed to organisers, volunteers and the public to cooperate fully, follow the guidelines and celebrate peacefully while upholding communal harmony.Responsibilities of StakeholdersGHMC: Cranes, sanitation workers, mobile toilets, LED lighting, garbage clearanceHMDA: Tree-cutting squads, JCBsR&B Department: Barricading routes, covering sensitive religious structures, watch towersTourism Department: Rescue boats, swimmers with safety equipmentMedical & Health Department: Ambulances, medical campsFire Services: Engines, extinguishers at key pointsTGSPDCL: Uninterrupted power and lightingTransport Department: Regulation of idol transport and vehicles at BalapurIPR Department: Public announcementsHMWS&SB: Drinking water at immersion sites10-yr-old girl murdered in KukatpallyHyderabad:A 10-year-old girl was found murdered under mysterious circumstances at her residence in Sangeetnagar, Kukatpally, on Monday. Though there was initial suspicion of rape and murder, officials said it appears to be a case of murder alone, as no signs of sexual assault were found.According to police, the victim’s parents — a bike mechanic and a lab technician — have two children, an eight-year-old son and the deceased, a Class VI student. On the day of the incident, the boy went to school as usual, while the girl stayed at home. Police said the boy had not taken his lunch box, and the mother asked her daughter to deliver it by noon. When the tiffin did not reach school, the class teacher contacted the mother, who in turn asked her husband to check on their daughter at home.On reaching home, the father found the girl lying unresponsive on the bed. He immediately alerted police, and Kukatpally officers rushed to the spot and began investigations.A senior official told Deccan Chronicle that prima facie the case points to murder and not assault. “A woman constable, along with the girl’s mother, examined the body and found no signs of sexual abuse. However, the post-mortem report will confirm the cause of death,” the official said.Kukatpally police are probing possible motives and suspect the involvement of unidentified persons who may have entered the house in the parents’ absence. Special teams have been deployed to collect clues from the neighbourhood and examine CCTV footage.Notices served to 3 fertility centres in HydHyderabad:The investigation into the illegal surrogacy racket busted by Petbasheerabad police has intensified, with notices served to three fertility hospitals in the city. An officer said that Hegde Hospital in Madhapur, Sri Fertility Centre in Kondapur and Ferti Care in Somajiguda are under scrutiny.Payments to women were largely routed in cash, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of transactions in violation of the Surrogacy Regulation Act, while the rest were reportedly made online. The probe revealed that the women exploited in the racket came from economically vulnerable families in Rampachodavaram, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam areas of Andhra Pradesh.Police said the women identified as surrogate mothers have been treated as accused and charged under relevant sections. They are currently housed in a shelter home, but will be served notices to cooperate with the investigation.Meanwhile, police are examining the role of the prime accused, mother-and-son duo N. Laxmi Reddy and N. Narender Reddy, who allegedly ran the network. Efforts are also being made to identify the couples and fertility centres that entered into agreements with the women.
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