Hyderabad: How betting-addicted Amberpet SI Bhanu Reddy pledged seized property to pay his debts

Hyderabad: A sub-inspector posted at Amberpet Police Station was arrested on Saturday on charges of betting addiction, misappropriation of recovered case property, and losing his official service revolver.

Identified as Bhanu Prakash Reddy, he was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody. The incident caused considerable embarrassment to the police department and triggered concern among senior officials in November 2025.

Allegations involving betting addiction, misuse of recovered property, and the loss of a service weapon against a serving SI have made the case highly sensitive.

Betting habit and mounting debts

Police officials said preliminary inquiries revealed that SI Bhanu Prakash Reddy had developed a betting habit over the past few months and slipped into financial distress.

Mounting debts allegedly drove him to indulge in illegal acts, undermining the discipline and integrity expected of a police officer.

Case property allegedly misused

As per procedure, cash and valuables recovered in criminal cases must be safely preserved as case property. Investigators found that the accused allegedly diverted such recovered money and articles to clear his betting-related dues.

During the inquiry, it reportedly emerged that some of the seized property was pledged, leading to serious departmental and criminal charges.

Service revolver missing

One of the most serious lapses in the case was the disappearance of the SI’s service revolver. Senior officers questioned him repeatedly, but he failed to give a satisfactory explanation about the missing weapon, raising grave security concerns.

Conflicting statements during inquiry

Police said the accused gave inconsistent versions when questioned about the missing revolver. He initially claimed that the weapon was lost while travelling by train.

When searches failed to trace it, he later admitted before senior officers that the revolver had been lost, further strengthening suspicion against him.

Arrest and Remand

After the allegations were found to be prima facie true, the police registered a case and arrested Bhanu Prakash Reddy. He was produced before a court, which ordered his judicial remand. He was subsequently shifted to Chanchalguda Jail.

Job change attempt revealed

Investigators also found that the accused had recently been selected for an Andhra Pradesh Group-2 post. He had applied to resign from his SI post in Telangana and sought to be relieved to take up the new assignment. It was during this process that his alleged irregularities came to light.

Further investigation is underway, and officials said strict action will be taken based on the final findings.