Fake cops gang held for extorting hotel vendor

Kakinada:Dwaraka Tirumala police arrested a four-member gang for impersonating police officers and extorting money from a hotel vendor. The accused were identified as Bunga Prashant Kumar, 37, Perike Surendra Kumar, 29 from Pulla in Bhimadole mandal, Golla Suresh Kumar, 29 from Unguturu village, and Korapati Rohit, 27 from Pulla village.

According to the police, the gang confronted a hotel vendor late at night, questioning why he had kept his shop open beyond 11 pm. Posing as police officials, they threatened to arrest him and forcibly collected Rs 1,000. However, as locals and highway patrolling personnel arrived at the scene, the accused fled in a car.

Following the instructions of Superintendent of Police K. Pratap Shiva Kishore, Eluru DSP D. Shravan Kumar formed a special team tracked down and arrested the four accused at Bhimadole Junction on Thursday morning.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused were addicted to vices and resorted to impersonating police officers to make easy money. They had even stitched a police uniform to make their act more convincing.