Telangana: Student Working as App Rider for Fees Run Over

Hyderabad: A 23-year-old part-time driver with a ride-hailing app, who was pursuing his BTech fourth year, was fatally struck by a mini-lorry while returning from a private engineering college after collecting his examination material.

Panjagutta police sub-inspector B. Venugopal said the victim, Ayaan Ahmed, was working as a driver to fund his studies.

Police said the mini-lorry hit Ayaan and sped away. He died on the spot due to excessive bleeding. The police later tracked down the vehicle and arrested the driver, Aruvapally Mahesh.

The complaint was lodged by Ayaan’s father, Arshad Ahmed, who was informed about the accident by his son’s friend, Mohd Waseem.

Miyapur police have booked one Konchepu Raraju for the death of his wife Vijayalakshmi, whom he allegedly assaulted during a quarrel while travelling in a car on Tuesday. According to a complaint lodged by Vijayalakshmi’s family, the couple was married for about 14 years and has two children.

The complaint alleged that Raraju had become addicted to alcohol which led to frequent quarrels in the family. On December 23, the couple were travelling in a car towards the residence of the accused’s brother when another argument broke out between them. Raraju allegedly assaulted Vijayalakshmi following which she lost consciousness.

He took her to a private hospital in KPHB, where the duty doctor declared her dead on arrival.

Two Candidates Arrested for Alleged Attempt at Copying

Two candidates appearing for a non-teaching recruitment examination at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) were arrested after an alleged attempt at hi-tech copying. Gachibowli police said Anil, 30, and Satish, 31, both from Haryana, were writing the examination for the post of junior office assistant on the university campus.

An invigilator noticed repeated beeps sounds in the examination hall and grew suspicious. On frisking Anil, the staff found a hidden bluetooth device. Further checks revealed that a miniature scanner, hidden in a shirt button, had allegedly been used to scan the question paper, following which answers were received through the bluetooth device using artificial intelligence-based tools.

Subsequent verification of other candidates in the hall led to the detection of a similar scanner in the possession of Satish, police said.

Sajjanar warns about fake SMSes, challans

City police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar on Wednesday sounded a warning against cyber scams involving fake e-challans and SMS messages for traffic violations. He pointed out that a citizen lost about ₹6 lakh after clicking a fake e-challan link that falsely claimed a traffic violation.

The website looked exactly like the official police portal. The victim was told he had to pay a ₹500 fine. When he clicked on the link, fraudsters charged €6,900 on his credit card through unauthorised international transactions, Sajjanar said.

He asked motorists to check their traffic penalty status only on the official website, echallan.parivahan.gov.in, or the state traffic police website directly.

Man wanted for 100 property crimes held

Battula Prabhakar, 36, involved in over 100 property offences across five states, was recently caught on CCTV cameras while committing a theft of ₹60 lakh from an engineering college in Tamil Nadu.

On February 2, Prabhakar had opened fire on Madhapur CCS constable Venkat Reddy when a police team attempted to arrest him in connection with a theft at an engineering college. However, the police managed to nab him.

On September 23, Prabhakar, a native of Visakhapatnam, was arrested by Andhra Pradesh police. He was produced before a court in Vijayawada and later escaped while being taken to Rajamahendravaram Central Prison.

Tamil Nadu police later alerted local police about Prabhakar’s involvement in the theft at a college owned by a politician in the state, police sources said.

Man Dies by Suicide in Shankarpally; Family Alleges Poll-Related Threats

A 28-year-old man died by suicide at his residence in Gopularam in Shankarpally. The family of the victim, Kavali Anil, alleged that he had been under mental distress following threats linked to the recently held gram panchayat elections.

They claimed that two persons, Thonda Ravi and Cheera Sai Kumar, had threatened Anil for not voting in favour of Cheera Sai Kumar.

According to Mokila police, Anil was employed in a private job. The family alerted the police after finding his body. Based on the complaint, a case was registered and further investigation is under way.

Unemployed Man Found Dead by Suicide at Residence in Kukatpally

A 32-year-old man was found dead by suicide at his residence in Balajinagar in Kukatpally.

Police said the deceased, Sheikh Bajid, was residing with his father, while his mother lived with their eldest daughter. Bajid had been searching for a job for some time.

On Tuesday afternoon, his father last saw him at around 4 pm. Later, he found Bajid unresponsive in the hall on the first floor of the house. His parents informed the police, who registered a case.

Eluru Man Found Dead at Kukatpally Home Under Suspected Alcohol Influence

Jagavarapu Sudheer Reddy, 44, from Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, was found dead at his residence in VV Nagar in Kukatpally in the early hours of Wednesday.

He is survived by his wife and two sons. A complaint filed by the deceased’s sister, Sunitha, stated that he was found dead at around 12.30 am after sustaining injuries inside the house while allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

His head reportedly hit a wooden stick kept at the corner of the bed on which he was sitting.

2 STP Workers Die in Kollur Apartment Tank

Hyderabad: Two sewage treatment plant (STP) operators died while cleaning a tank at an apartment complex in Kollur early on Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Somit Ruidas, 22, and Harish Singh, 25, both working as STP operators at Blossom Heights Apartments in Kollur.

According to a complaint lodged by Somit’s elder brother, Amit Ruidas, who also works as an STP operator in Hitec City, the two men were assigned the task of removing water from the STP tank around 11.30 pm on December 22. After the water was drained by 12.30 am on December 23, they reportedly entered the tank to carry out cleaning operations. The site supervisor was present at the time.

When the workers failed to come out and did not respond to repeated calls, the supervisor sought help. Security personnel and members of the apartment management reached the spot and alerted the police. Around 2.30 am, fire department personnel retrieved the duo from the tank, but they were found dead.

The complainant alleged that the incident occurred due to negligence by the site in‑charge and supervisor, who sent the workers into the tank without ensuring adequate safety measures. A case of negligence has been registered against site supervisor Athul Kumar Jha, and further investigation is underway.

Sai Varshith’s Associate, 3 Consumers Held in Drug Case

Hyderabad: The anti-narcotics police on Tuesday arrested drug peddling suspect Sai Varshith’s associate Pranith Reddy and three consumers, said EAGLE force director Sandeep Shandilya on Wednesday. Shandilya said that in order to evade police surveillance, Sai Varshith had closed his bank account in August after he was arrested in a NDPS case by the Domalguda police. He began trading in cash, handing over the monies to Pranith Reddy who deposited the money in his own bank account and then transferred them to accounts provided by Nigerian drug supplier Mary alias Tamiya who was arrested earlier, Shandilya said.

The arrested consumers tested positive for narcotics, Shandilya said. Pranith Reddy tested negative.

26 kids with hearing disability operated upon

Twenty-six children with hearing impairment underwent cochlear implant surgeries at the ENT department of Gandhi Hospital, while another 26 children are undergoing pre-implant therapy. Digital hearing aids were distributed to five children.

Speaking at a one-day training camp organised for mothers of hearing-impaired children by the Meenakshi Venkatraman Foundation (MVF) on Wednesday, hospital superintendent Dr N. Vani said hearing problems could be effectively treated if detected at an early stage. She lauded the foundation for its continued support to children with hearing impairment.

Professor and head of the ENT department Dr Bhupender Singh Rathod emphasised the importance of pre-implant therapy before surgery. He added that the post-surgery speech therapy provided by MVF for 25 days every month had significantly helped children develop speech and communication skills.

Several mothers shared their experiences and stated that they initially feared their children would remain permanently hearing-impaired. However, following speech therapy training through MVF and cochlear implant treatment at Gandhi Hospital, they were immensely happy to see their children speak.

EAGLE Force Gears up for Drug-Free NY

The anti-narcotics EAGLE Force in coordination with the state police — particularly the from the tri-commissionerates here — said it had undertaken comprehensive measures to ensure drug-free New Year celebrations. EAGLE Force director Sandeep Shandilya said special teams had been deployed across the state to prevent the sale, distribution, and consumption of narcotic and psychotropic substances.

Focused checks was being conducted at vulnerable locations, including party venues, hotels, pubs, highways, transit points, surroundings of educational institutions, and other known drug-prone areas. Narcotics detection dogs were being deployed at sensitive locations.

The EAGLE force issued an advisory to party-goers to consume liquor responsibly and said bars and pubs, and event organisers, must not serve liquor to minors. The force also restricted juveniles from visiting places where alcohol consumption and smoking are permitted.

Event managers have been advised to ban usage of e-cigarettes and ensure that DJs, RJs, and band performers are free from drug abuse. Organisers are responsible for keeping their premises, including party venues, rooms, restrooms, and parking areas, free from drug usage, the force instructed.

NIA Curbs on Pro-Maoist Online Content

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which recently issued notice to YouTube journalist Raghu for allegedly promoting Maoist ideology and portraying security force encounters as “fake encounters”, is preparing to take action against him and the administrators of seven other channels.

The notices were issued for broadcasting content that allegedly portrays the government as guilty while opposing encounters involving Maoist extremists. The videos in question include interviews with former naxalite and Maoist Gade Innaiah, arrested by the NIA recently, and former Maoist Katta Ram Chandra Reddy.

NIA sources said they had closely monitored the YouTube channels and gathered data related to interviews, video content, viewership, shares, comments, and digital footprints. NIA sources said the agency was particularly focusing on videos that allegedly support the Maoist movement and misrepresented the actions of the government and security forces.

Those suspected of the offences would be summoned for questioning. The NIA has indicated that legal action may be initiated against content deemed to be propaganda detrimental to national security or supportive of banned organisations. If required, cases may be registered under the Information Technology Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and other relevant provisions.