Fraudster Held for Posing as Call Boy Agent

Vijayawada:Guntur district police arrested a 27-year-old man who allegedly cheated several people by posing as a recruiter for call boy jobs and later extorting money from them by impersonating police and legal officials.

Guntur district SP Vakul Jindal stated that the accused, Choda Chaitanya Krishna Pawan, a resident of Inkollu village in Bapatla District, was arrested in connection with crime number 414/2025 under Section 318(4) of the BNS and Sections 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act. Police seized an iPhone 15, a Poco smartphone, and four SIM cards from his possession. The SP explained that Pawan created fake Facebook profiles under women’s names, such as Sailaja Marni, Sunitha-Sunitha, and Neelima, to lure victims by offering jobs in a callboy business. After gaining their trust, he collected registration fees ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000. He then posed as police officers, advocates, and income tax officials to threaten and extort more money.

In one case, a 68-year-old businessman from Guntur was duped of around ₹1 crore after falling prey to Pawan’s threats of a police case and IT raids. Investigations revealed that Pawan had been involved in multiple fraud cases since 2022 across Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Nizamabad, swindling lakhs of rupees from unsuspecting victims. SP Vakul Jindal commended CI G. Venkateswarlu, SI Raj Kumar, PSI Pradeep, Head Constable Prasada Rao, and the IT core police staff for their efforts in apprehending the accused.

Body of missing youth found at Kanaparthi beach

Vijayawada:After two days of intensive search operations, Bapatla district police found the body of Sharon Raju, who had been feared drowned at the Vodarevu beach on Sunday, at the Kanaparthi beach in Naguluppalapadu mandal in Prakasam district on Tuesday.

Five youth had drowned at the Vodarevu beach on Sunday. While four bodies had been recovered earlier, the fifth body, that of Sharon Raju, has been traced on Tuesday.

Bapatla district superintendent of police B. Umamaheswar said Sharon Raju’s body will be handed over to his family after the post-mortem examination at Chirala Government Hospital.

Expressing concern, the SP said safety measures will be further strengthened along the Vodarevu coast to ensure such mishaps do not recur.

“It is strictly prohibited to swim in the sea. Pilgrims and tourists should limit themselves to bathing only within the designated safe zones,” Umamaheswar underlined.

In particular, he said entering the sea under the influence of alcohol is dangerous and punishable under law.

The SP mentioned that despite continuous warnings, some youth venture into deeper waters. “Sudden high tides often lead to fatal accidents in such circumstances,” he pointed out.

Two youth arrested for sexual assaulting, filming minor

Karimnagar:Karimnagar police have arrested two youth on charges of sexually assaulting and filming a minor girl, apart from sharing their video on social media.

The incident occurred about a week ago at a village in Kothapalli mandal. After the video went viral, the victim’s parents lodged a complaint with the police.

Kothapalli police registered a case under the POCSO Act and arrested both the suspects.

Briefing media, Karimnagar Rural assistant commissioner of police (ACP) G. Vijay Kumar identified the two youth as M. Vishwa Teja (19) and N. Sunny (22). Both the accused are from the same village as the victim. They had moved closely with the minor for some time.

The two youth had been addicted to drugs and allegedly introduced the minor girl to intoxicants as well. A week ago, the two youths took the girl to a scheduled area where they allegedly took turns sexually assaulting her while filming the crime on a cell phone.

The crime came into the open when the youth circulated the video within their WhatsApp groups, which came to the notice of the girl’s family, who filed a complaint on Monday.

Kothapalli police registered a case and arrested the two youth, who have been sent to judicial remand.

The incident has sparked concerns in the area about the growing use of drugs and crimes associated with it. People have asked authorities to take strict measures to root out the supply of drugs in the area.

3 injured in gas cylinder fire

Kakinada: Three members of a family sustained burn injuries on Tuesday following a gas leak from a cylinder at their home in Mallam village, Pithapuram mandal, Kakinada District. The victims, Mallipamula Nageswara Rao, his wife Nagalakshmi, and his brother Lova Raju, were injured when flames erupted while Nagalakshmi was preparing to cook. The family was attempting to put out the fire when they suffered burns. Two children in the house managed to escape unharmed, although one was reportedly crying. Neighbours alerted the fire department, which quickly extinguished the blaze. The injured were admitted to the Government General Hospital, Kakinada, for treatment. Pithapuram Circle Inspector G. Srinivas and his team visited the site to inspect the scene and investigate the cause of the accident.

Man murdered in broad daylight in Tenali

Vijayawada:A 60-year-old man was murdered in broad daylight on Tuesday in Chenchipeta of Tenali, following a long-standing rivalry, police said. The deceased, Tirupathi Rao, a resident of Korutadiparru village in Amarthalur mandal, Bapatla district, was attacked by G. Subba Rao with a sharp weapon, resulting in his instantaneous death. According to Tenali Three Town police, the incident occurred in a public area and the motive is believed to be linked to an old personal dispute. A case has been registered based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s wife, J. Indira, and an investigation is underway.

Guntur police recover 250 lost mobile phones

Vijayawada: Guntur district superintendent of police (SP) Vakul Jindal on Tuesday handed over 250 stolen and lost mobile phones, valued at around ₹50 lakh, to their rightful owners. The SP said the department is committed to supporting victims and using technology to trace and recover lost property. “People face distress when their phones are lost or stolen, as they often contain personal and financial data. Misuse of such information can have serious consequences. Police are using advanced digital tracking tools to recover these devices and return them free of cost,” he said. So far, the Guntur police have recovered and returned 3,414 mobile phones worth about ₹6.82 crore. SP Jindal urged citizens to report lost or stolen phones through the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or the CEIR portal.

2 YSRC activists held for misleading posts on excise dept

Tirupati police arrested two YSRC activists for allegedly spreading false information about the state government and the excise department on social media. According to Tirupati additional SP Ravi Manoharachary, the arrests followed a complaint lodged by excise circle inspector Mandavalli Ramachandra at the Alipiri police station. The case pertained to an incident near Victory Wines in Tirupati, where an unidentified man collapsed in an inebriated state. The YSRC social media teams allegedly circulated posts claiming the man had fallen unconscious after consuming illicit liquor, aiming to malign the government and the excise department. During the investigation, police analysed CCTV footage and other evidence, revealing that Chandrasekhar Venkatesh, 25, personal assistant to YSRC MLC Sipayi Subramanyam and party social media activist Bhrungi Naveen, 38, were behind the misleading posts. The duo was arrested by Alipiri police on Monday night and later remanded to judicial custody. Additional SP Manoharachary cautioned against the misuse of social media, stating that anyone spreading false information would face legal consequences. “Freedom of expression does not mean distorting facts. We will investigate and take strict action against those attempting to mislead the public”, he said, adding that the police would continue to protect legitimate free speech while curbing misinformation.