Retiree Loses ₹56.8 Lakh In Digital Gold Fraud

A 63‑year‑old retiree from Vanasthalipuram lost over ₹56.8 lakh after falling victim to an online investment fraud involving fake digital gold trading platforms. According to the complaint lodged with Malkajgiri cybercrime police, the victim was added to a Telegram chat group on April 7 by a woman identifying herself as Nandhini Reddy. She allegedly persuaded the victim to invest in digital gold trading through a website, promising high profits and guaranteed returns. The victim initially invested ₹49,999, which was converted into USDT cryptocurrency. Small profits shown in the trading account convinced him the platform was genuine. Encouraged by the returns displayed on the application, he continued transferring money in multiple transactions as instructed by the fraudsters. Investigators said the accused later informed the victim through email that the trading website had been upgraded and showed a large balance in the account. Wen he attempted to withdraw the investment, the fraudsters allegedly demanded an additional ₹25.52 lakh as a seven per cent exchange fee and service charge on the total USDT balance. After repeated demands for payments and no withdrawal being processed, the victim realised the platform was fraudulent. Police said he invested a total of ₹56.84 lakh and received back only ₹4,866, resulting in a loss of ₹56.80 lakh. A case has been registered and investigation is underway. Engineer duped of ₹41.68 lakh in forex scam A 33‑year‑old unemployed engineer from the Hitec City area allegedly lost more than ₹41.68 lakh in a forex trading scam operated through a dating app and Telegram. According to the complaint, the victim came into contact with a woman through a dating application last month. She introduced herself as a successful forex trader and persuaded him to invest in an online trading platform, promising guaranteed returns and daily withdrawals. Initially, the victim invested smaller amounts, but later transferred larger sums after the platform allegedly displayed huge profits amounting to nearly ₹35 lakh in the virtual account. The fraudsters repeatedly demanded additional payments, and the victim continued transferring money to several accounts linked to individuals, charitable trusts and private firms. The complainant paid over ₹42.53 lakh and received only ₹85,000 in return. When the accused stopped responding, the victim realised he had been cheated and approached the police. Counter cases filed after Kushaiguda clash Police registered counter cases following a late‑night clash between two groups in Kushaiguda in which several persons allegedly sustained injuries. According to the first complaint, Rajeshwar Rao returned home after work around 11 pm and was speaking with friends — Gowtham Reddy, Sudheer Reddy, Satish, Vamsi Chary and Naresh — outside his residence when a group of local youths, A. Mallesh, Shiva, Yathin and Kiran, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, created a disturbance nearby. Residents called the police, after which the group temporarily dispersed. Rao alleged that the accused later returned with more persons and attacked them using stones and tube lights while hurling abuses. Several persons allegedly suffered bleeding injuries, while Rao sustained swelling injuries to his left hand. The complaint further alleged that the accused frequently consume alcohol, smoke in public places and create nuisance in the locality, particularly during late‑night hours, causing fear among women, children and nearby residents. In a counter complaint, Mallesh, an autorickshaw driver, claimed that while returning home around the same time, he was involved in a minor argument with another group near his locality. He alleged that the opposite group assaulted him and his associates with hands and sticks, and further claimed that his son was also attacked when he arrived at the spot. Midnight theft at temple beside police station A midnight theft at a temple located beside Medipally police station raised criticism over the effectiveness of patrolling in the area. According to police, an unidentified thief entered the Sri Pothuluri Veerabrahmendra Swamy temple late on Sunday night, broke open the hundi and fled with cash offered by devotees. Temple authorities lodged a complaint, but the value of the stolen amount could not be ascertained as it had not been counted. No other valuables were reported missing. CCTV cameras installed at the temple reportedly captured visuals of the theft, which police are examining as part of the investigation. Responding to criticism, police said the accused may not have been aware of the police station’s proximity. Couple suffer burns in Patancheru hotel fire A couple, owners of a restaurant, suffered facial burns after a fire broke out at their establishment in Patancheru on Sunday. The local fire station attended to their emergeency call and extinguished the fire that was later placed in the D‑category (small fire). The fire occurred at the Shiva Khanavali Hotel, located near Patancheru bus stand, according to Sangareddy district fire officer Nageshwara Rao. The blaze erupted in the G+1 building due to leakage of an LPG cylinder, followed by a blast triggered by an electrical short circuit. The fire was brought under control within 45 minutes. The couple were safely rescued and shifted to Sangareddy Government Hospital, where their condition is out of danger, a firefighter said. Hotel owner M. Jagadish and his wife Shoba sustained minor facial injuries. Both were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment even before the fire vehicle reached the spot. Four Maoists caught in Tandur escape bid Four state-level Maoists, including a woman, were caught in Tandur district in the early hours of Sunday while attempting to escape. Police said the four had arrived in Tandur 10 days ago along with seven others. Six managed to flee to Maharashtra, while the remaining four were nabbed red‑handed at Tandur railway station in Vikarabad district. Officials confirmed that the joint operation was carried out by Maharashtra police and Tandur intelligence teams. Their role in Telangana has been ruled out, police said. Special teams reportedly first spotted them at Rukmapur, where they were posing as labourers. Following their arrest, they were detained at the Railway Headquarters, police disclosed. Preliminary information indicates that cases are pending against three of the arrested Maoists, including the woman cadre, in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. The four had recently started working as labourers at Rukmapur railway station under Tandur Railway police station. Tandur intelligence officials, along with Maharashtra’s Anti‑Naxal Squad (ANS), took them into custody before handing them over to Maharashtra police for further investigation, sources said. When contacted, officials refused to disclose the names of the arrested Maoists, citing that revealing identities could alert their cadre and enable escape to other states via Maharashtra. Job Seeker from AP Fatally Hit by Train near Secunderabad A 23-year-old native of Prakasam district in AP was fatally hit by an unidentified train between the Moula Ali and Cherlapally stations, the Secunderabad railway police said. The victim, Sheikh Nagur Khaja Vali, was identified based on the data on the SIM card of his phone that was found near his body. DSP S.M. Jawed said that from the evidence at the site, it appeared that the victim was walking beside the tracks and did not notice the train approaching. Police contacted his family members who said Valu had gone to Hyderabad to search for a job. Missing 17-Year-Old Student Found Dead in Shamshabad PondA 17-year-old student who went missing from his house in RC Puram was found dead at the Nanajipur pond in Shamshabad on Sunday, police said. According to sub-inspector Vanaja, the victim had gone with his family to a relative’s house warming ceremony at a function hall in Nanajipur. He reportedly asked his father for `500 but was turned down on Saturday. He was last seen leaving on a two-wheeler. When he did not return, his family members set out on a search for him and found his body in the lake. They called the police who retrieved the body and sent it for a post mortem. Police said they suspected that the victim might have fallen into the water while relieving himself. Police booked a case of death under suspicious circumstances and handed over the body of the victim to the family after the postmortem examination.



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