Yohan charged Rs 15,000 per certificate; bogus awards held at Ravindra Bharathi
Hyderabad: The West Zone Task Force police arrested Pedditi Yohan for fabricating and selling fake doctorate certificates in the name of Gurram Joshua Smaraka Kala Parishad. The bogus certificates were issued to several individuals and even presented at a ceremony held at Ravindra Bharathi, police said.
During interrogation, Yohan reportedly confessed that he had collected Rs 15,000 from each recipient and charged an additional Rs 20,000 from some for informing them about the award programmes conducted at Ravindra Bharathi.
According to investigators, Yohan was not only issuing fake doctorates to doctors but was also awarding false honours to artists and poets from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Police seized his mobile phone and sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for data analysis.
The accused was handed over to the Saifabad police along with the seized certificates for further investigation. Police said a case had been registered and further inquiries were in progress.
ACB grills ex-discom engineer
Hyderabad: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday interrogated Erugu Ambedkar, a former assistant divisional engineer with the Southern Power Distribution Company (TSSPDCL), for allegedly awarding power contracts to benamis and diverting funds.
Ambedkar, who worked at the TGSPDCL office in Ibrahimbagh, had earlier been remanded to four-day police custody in connection with a disproportionate assets case. The ACB officials took him into custody from jail and questioned him for more than eight hours at their office.
Sources said investigators focused on benami transactions and tender allocations. Ambedkar allegedly appointed his own team members as contractors with valid licences and awarded them tenders for installing transformers, line shifting and other electrical works. He then cleared bills in their names and collected the payments in cash.
During raids on his residence, ACB officials had seized Rs 2.18 crore in cash. They also seized movable and immovable assets, including a house worth Rs 1.15 crore, agricultural land measuring 17.10 acres valued at Rs 1.43 crore, 70 tolas of gold, 1.791 kg of silver, 23 wristwatches, two cars, a two-wheeler and other household articles — together valued at Rs 5.02 crore.
The ACB is likely to summon Ambedkar’s alleged benamis for questioning to ascertain their involvement. Sources said the official did not answer several questions posed by investigators despite being confronted with bank statements, WhatsApp chats and other evidence.
School bus collides, 3 kids hurt
Hyderabad: Three students sustained minor injuries when a private school bus collided head-on with another vehicle at Kalkal locality in Manoharabad, Medak district, on Monday. According to police, the bus belonged to Cyber Age Pupils High School and was carrying around 20 students back to their homes.
As the bus reached the Bangaramma temple curve at Kalkal, it rammed into a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. Three children suffered mild injuries and were immediately shifted to a nearby clinic, where they received first aid and were later discharged. Police said they were recording statements and would register an FIR based on a formal complaint.
Ex-BHEL staffer’s house looted
Hyderabad: A retired BHEL employee returned from a pilgrimage to find his house burgled in MIG Colony, Chandanagar, on Sunday evening. Police said the victim, Ram Murthy, 81, had gone with his family to Puttaparthi on September 29 and returned a week later to discover the lock on his house broken and valuables missing.
In his complaint, Ram Murthy said the burglars made away with 18.2 tolas of gold, 68 tolas of silver and cash. A case was registered, and a crime team inspected the house. Police said there were no CCTV cameras either at the house or nearby. Investigators will now rely on traditional methods such as questioning neighbours and examining local activity data to track down the burglars.
