Police Intensify Hunt For 'Chaddi Gang'

The gang entered the complex by cutting the lakeside fencing and attempted a burglary at a flat in ‘C’ Block. They fled after residents in the neighbouring flat were alerted. CCTV footage captured visuals of six individuals moving around the complex.

The footage has now become crucial evidence for apprehending the thieves. Police are working to identify the culprits and investigating whether there is any link between this attempt and past incidents in the city. Suspects within the Cyberabad limits have also been questioned.

Police initially suspected the gang hailed from Bihar, but have now concluded it belongs to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Search operations are underway in those states, involving two separate teams. Cyberabad police, with assistance from local forces, have travelled to Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to track down the gang.

Narsingi inspector D. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy told Deccan Chronicle that police teams are actively searching for two gangs involved in the theft case that occurred 12 days ago. He said they have gathered some information and are conducting searches in all suspected locations. He added that the thieves would be apprehended soon.

Newly married woman killed in bus accident

HYDERABAD: A 25-year-old woman, B. Lavanya, married 41 days ago, was fatally run over by an RTS super luxury bus at Malakpet crossroads on Saturday. According to SI I. Kalpana, the accident occurred at 3.50 pm near the Malakpet crossroads.

Lavanya and her husband B. Srikanth were heading towards their house from Chaderghat to Saroornagar when Lavanya, who was riding the bike, lost control after applying brakes. The bike skidded and she fell under the rear left tyre of the bus. Srikanth escaped with minor injuries, Chaderghat police said.

Lavanya, a private employee and resident of Saroornagar, had married Srikanth on August 30. The couple were living in a rented house, police said.

Police seized the bus and took the driver into custody. The victim’s body was shifted to OGH mortuary for post-mortem and later handed over to family members.

Nurse Blackmailed, Accused Flees

HYDERABAD: Jubilee Hills police booked a case against one Santosh for blackmailing a staff nurse and threatening to post her photos on social media and publicise her posters at her native place while demanding ₹20 lakh. According to the 23-year-old nurse who lodged a complaint, Santosh intercepted her near a bus stop, stopped his bike, and threatened to post her photos on Instagram and put up posters in her village.

The nurse, however, dialled 112 after spotting a police vehicle. The accused fled the scene, police said. Police registered a case of harassment and blackmail against Santosh and are making efforts to arrest him.

RPF Steps Up Festival Security

HYDERABAD: In view of the forthcoming festival season, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Secunderabad, said it had initiated a series of measures to ensure smooth passenger movement, safety and security at Secunderabad railway station on Saturday. “Our officials regulated the queue system for heavily crowded trains to facilitate orderly boarding, enhance passenger safety and prevent untoward incidents,” RPF inspector B.S. Saraswat said.

Additional RPF personnel have been deployed at critical points. GRP staff and Home Guards have also been posted at sensitive locations to regulate passenger flow and prevent crime.

Helpline booths have been set up at Platforms 1 and 10 to guide passengers with information regarding trains, platforms and special arrangements. Four designated holding areas with a combined capacity of 1,750–2,000 passengers have been created to manage peak-hour crowds and prevent overcrowding.

Additional CCTV cameras have been installed in holding areas and on platforms, monitored round-the-clock for crowd management and detection of suspicious activity. Strict access control has been implemented, allowing entry only to passengers with valid tickets. Coordination with GRP, local police and other agencies is being maintained to enforce law and order, conduct anti-sabotage checks and regulate traffic.

Quick Response Teams will remain on standby, with close coordination among RPF, GRP, local police and district administration to promptly handle contingencies.

Quarry Selfie Turns Fatal For B.Tech Student

HYDERABAD: Taking selfies for Instagram reels turned tragic when an 18-year-old B.Tech student drowned at a quarry in Malkaram under Jawaharnagar police station limits. Disaster Response Force teams recovered the body and handed it over to police.

The deceased was identified as Pavan Sai Pranav, a first-year student at a private engineering college. A group of 12 students, including three girls, visited the quarry after seeing it featured in Instagram reels and finding it suitable for photographs.

“Pranav, a resident of Dammaiguda, went to the quarry with college mates. While taking a selfie, he accidentally fell into the water. He did not know how to swim,” said Girish, his classmate. “Two students entered the water and sat on a rock to pose for pictures. One of them said he would go to another rock and return. Pranav drowned as he did not know how to swim,” Jawaharnagar sub-inspector B. Ramu, said.

“Our teams struggled to take a boat into the quarry pit, which was surrounded by steep rock faces. We eventually used a boat to search the water and fished out the body within 10 minutes,” P. Swamy of the DRF said. The victim’s body was sent for post-mortem at Gandhi Hospital and later handed over to his family. Police registered a case of suspicious death and are investigating.

Cybercrime crackdown nets 35 arrests

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad cybercrime police, during special operations in September 2026, arrested 35 individuals across nine states in connection with 23 cases involving eight different modus operandi. The highest number were 17 investment frauds, with ₹9,20,201 refunded. A total of ₹88,48,134 was retrieved and returned to victims.

Among those arrested, nine were linked to social media offences, seven to investment fraud, six to digital arrest scams, five to trading fraud, two to identity theft, three to advertisement fraud, and one each to extortion, job fraud and customer care scams. Through continuous digital monitoring and intelligence-based tracking, the unit identified 140 social media profiles across Facebook and Instagram actively running 30 paid advertisements promoting videos involving minors using abusive or obscene language.

Fraudulent schemes relating to old and rare coins, ₹5 tractor-design notes, ₹786 serial-number notes, misleading betting predictions and guaranteed winnings were also monitored. Identified content was reported to platforms for takedown.

As part of ongoing cyber patrol initiatives, 1,457 social media profiles and 2,603 paid promotional advertisements were identified and removed for promoting online gaming, illegal betting and fake investment websites. Nine FIRs were registered against promoters.

A total of 1,928 calls were made to victims to provide guidance, while 307 zero FIRs were registered. “Our teams arrested 10 from Telangana, six from Maharashtra, nine from Andhra Pradesh, three from Kerala, three from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab,” said M. Srinivasulu, additional commissioner of police, Crimes & SIT.

He added that maximum refunds were made in investment fraud cases, totalling ₹8,43,49,836. Refunds included 17 in investment fraud, 11 in trading fraud, two in APK fraud, one in advertisement fraud, and one each in digital arrest and unauthorised UPI transaction.

Zonal Cyber Cells received 2,767 NCRP petitions, of which 381 FIRs were registered and 11 individuals arrested in 10 cases. “We are making efforts to ensure financial safety and security of citizens as instructed by the city police commissioner,” Srinivasulu said.

Shop employee murdered in Azampura

HYDERABAD: Police have identified the man who murdered a 40‑year‑old cloth shop employee outside a store in Azampura as Mohd Ibrahim of Santoshnagar. He called the victim, Tahera Banu, out of the shop at about 9.20 pm and stabbed her before escaping, Chaderghat police said.

During interrogation, Ibrahim revealed that he and Tahera had earlier worked together. He had recently proposed to her, but she refused. He also claimed he had lent her money. Police said they are investigating further.

“We rushed to the shop from our house in Chanchalguda on hearing the news. My daughter Tahera was lying unconscious with severe bleeding. We took her to a private hospital in Azampura where doctors declared her dead,” said her father Md Hafeez.

Tahera was married to Md Khaja and had two daughters, a son and a two-year-old grandson. She had worked as a saleswoman for 18 months, earlier employed at a cloth store in Sanathnagar. “We have registered a case of murder. After a post-mortem at OGH, her body was handed over to family members for last rites,” said Brahma Murari Kasani, SHO Chaderghat. Ibrahim’s arrest is yet to be confirmed officially.