Telugu artist held for stealing cameras rented through Olx

Hyderabad: The Panjagutta police on Monday arrested a small-time actor who rented cameras on Olx and stole them. They recovered 10 Canon cameras and a laptop from him.The crime team of Panjugutta police station arrested Chunchu Praveen Kumar Teja (32), who has done some minor roles in movies and series, for the theft of 11 cameras and a laptop.

According to the police, Teja had joined Focus Acting Academy in the city and was doing small roles in various serials and movies. He had also worked as a reporter for Jai Bheem TV, a YouTube channel. During his acting stint, he heard the crew discussing expensive cameras. He then hatched a plan to steal them.

He used to look for people who were renting their cameras on Olx. He would submit photocopies of his Aadhar card, Jai Bheem ID card, and driving license to rent the cameras. He would then steal the camera, block the numbers of the owners, and abscond. He had also stolen cameras from acquaintances under the guise of providing jobs as an assistant cameraman and TV reporter.