Man cheats Russian embassy of US$42k

The Rachakonda police cracked a major case and got the CEO of a city-based firm responsible for cheating the embassy of the Russian Federation in New Delhi of US$42,500.

Kore Ranga Babu, the CEO of M/s KRB GEIO Services, had submitted a bid and been awarded a tender to supply the embassy a ground-penetrating radar system. However, he failed to deliver the equipment.

According to the Rachakonda police, Igor Boldyrev, the second secretary vicecounsel of the embassy of the Russian Federation, lodged a complaint stating that the embassy had approached a Hyderabad-based company, whose office is located in Saroornagar, in May 2016, with the intention of purchasing electronic equipment required for construction works being undertaken on the embassy premises in New Delhi. He said that upon confirmation of availability of the equipment, the embassy had paid the firm the entire amount, US$42,500.

However, the company never ended up delivering the equipment. Despite repeated requests over the telephone, through SMS, and via email, the firm neither made the delivery nor returned the amount. The embassy initially approached the Delhi police, but they were unable to help. A case was then registered at the Saroornagar police station.

The police’s inquiries revealed that soon after the embassy had signed the deal, demonetisation was announced. Ranga Babu had demanded more money, which the embassy had refused to pay, because of which the delivery had remained pending.

Mr Ranga Babu eventually began using the amount for his personal expenses. Subsequently, he stopped responding to the embassy’s calls and messages and even changed his mobile number.

Officials said that Ranga Babu had cheated a few other clients as well, in a similar manner. Another case is registered against him in Gujarat. The Hyderabad High Court on Friday directed the Telangana government to conduct an investigation through city central crime station of Hyderabad into the alleged assault on a petitioner for filing a PIL for the removal of encroachments from the pavements. The petitioner was allegedly assaulted by the shopkeepers of Siddiamber Bazar who would be affected by the PIL.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice K. Vijaya Lakshmi while dealing with the petition by Lakshmi Nivas Agarwal directed the city police to submit the CC camera footage of the area before the court in a sealed cover.

The bench also directed the police to asess the threat perception to the petitioner through a senior officer.

It may be recalled that the petitioner during an earlier hearing had complained to the court that some shopkeepers of the area had assaulted him with sticks and rods for filing the PIL before the court.

Mr D. Prakash Reddy, advocate general, told the court that the police have taken one Mahesh Upadhya into custody with regard to the attack after verifying the CC camera footage that showed only one person attacking the petitioner.