Bachupally Police File Cheating Case Against Priest, Wife Over Fraud

Hyderabad: Bachupally police have registered multiple cheating cases against priest Chamarthi Ramalatharao alias Rama Sarma (50), his wife Prameela Rani and their associate Manchikanti Venkata Raghavendra Vara Prasad for allegedly duping a software professional and misusing his identity.

According to Bachupally Inspector P. Dali Naidu, the priest befriended complainant M. Naveen and his wife Bhavya while living in an apartment in Pragathi Nagar. In 2023, the priest sought financial help from Naveen, promising to repay within three months. Believing him, Naveen transferred Rs. 20 lakh. The accused later fled to the US. Based on Naveen's complaint, police issued a Look Out Circular. He was intercepted by immigration officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, when he returned to India in June and handed over to Bachupally police, and was remanded to judicial custody.

In a separate complaint, Naveen alleged that when he and his wife went abroad, they had handed over their house keys to Rama Sarma's family to feed the aquarium fish. Taking advantage of this, the family allegedly stole their Aadhaar and PAN cards and electricity bill and forged their signatures. They then created a fake website claiming to have established 'Sri Gurudatta Lakshminarasimha Guruvambika Peetham' at the same address and allegedly collected huge donations from devotees. The fraud came to light when Naveen found that an account had been opened in a private bank in KPHB Colony in the name of the Ashram and transactions were being carried out. A fresh complaint on the 27th of last month.

Serious allegations have also surfaced against Rama Sarma for fraud in the name of religious rituals, spanning from the US to Hyderabad. Bachupally police have registered cases and launched an investigation. CI P. Dali Naidu said Ram Sharma and his wife Prameela Rani are currently absconding and efforts are on to trace them.