Hyderabad Church father held for fraud in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: The Srikakulam police on Saturday arrested church father and founder of Ministries Welfare Society Trust Raju Tirupati Rao for cheating people and collecting huge amount of money from them.

Superintendent of Police, Srikakulam, RS Ammi Reddy said Tirupati Rao promised people that if they paid 70 percent of the cost of the motor vehicle, the Trust would provide the remaining 30 per cent free. In this process, he collected Rs 2.19 crore from people of various parts of Srikakulam district.

The police said that Rao had given bikes to 200 people and won the trust of the people.

Rao has appointed agents at various places in Srikakulam district and spread his offer to more areas of the region and collected huge amounts of money.

However, Rao failed to deliver the vehicles as promised to 117 persons after collecting Rs 83.78 lakh from them.

Later he began dodging them by switching off the mobile phone and absconding from home.

Based on the complaint from one dumped youngster S Krishna Rao of Santabommali area in Srikakulam on November 1, the police registered a case and investigated the case.

The police after verification and investigation, arrested Tirupati Rao on December 6. The police recovered Rs 25.4 lakh cash, 30 gms of gold jewellery and car costing Rs 12 lakh from his possession.

The police said the money would be returned to the victims through court after they submit proof of payment.

Tirupati Rao (36) is a native of Temburu village in Patapatnam mandal and moved to Hyderabad 12 years ago became a church father. After his financial condition became worse, he came to Srikakulam and took the crime route for easy money.

He opened an office in the name of Ministries Welfare Society Trust in Tekkali town and floated the offer of vehicles at 70 percent of the cost.