Tainted ACP Umamaheshwar was ‘friendly’ with Sahithi Infra fraud accused

Hyderabad: Anti Corruption Bureau arrested TS Umamaheshwar Rao, currently serving as the Assistant Commissioner of Police( ACP), Financial Offenses Division, Central Crime Station, Hyderabad Police Commissionerate.

The arrest comes after raids were conducted at his residence in Hyderabad. A disproportionate assets case has also been registered against him.

It is pertinent to note that TS Umamaheshwar Rao was the investigating officer in the multi-crore Sahithi Infrastructure Fraud that cheated customers in Hyderabad to the tune of Rs 1164 Cr.

A reliable source told NewsMeter that Uma Maheshwar Rao was very ‘friendly’ with the accused of Sahithi Infra fraudsters.

“Usually sleuths of anti-crime investigating agencies act sternly in grave crime cases. However, Umamaheshwar Rao was very ‘friendly’ with the accused. Innocent customers were cheated by the builders. Now they are shocked as cops too were found involved,” a source said.

It is learnt that several complaints against the tainted cop were filed with the Anti-Corruption Bureau. ACB finally bit the bullet and launched the raids. The ACP is a big fish of Telangana police.

ACB raided properties at 13 places in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam and seized houses, valuable lands, jewelry, and vehicles worth around Rs 3.5 crore (book value). However, the market value of these properties stands at Rs 40 crore, sources said.

“Seized documents of 15 land and other properties, Cash, Gold and Silver items, and other movable properties worth about Rs. 3.5 Cr book value. Took him into custody for further inquiry,” ACB said.

What is the Sahithi Infrastructure scam?

In January 2024, Victims of Sahithi Infrastructure Ventures, as they call themselves, approached the Hyderabad police against the builders for allegedly cheating them.

Investigation revealed that out of the nine projects including Sarvani Elite, the company collected approximately Rs 1,164 crore from the customers. In the complaint, the group alleged that the builder had misled them in many ways. It is alleged that from June 2019 to 2022 the builder collected more than Rs 504 crore and failed to complete the project, thereby cheating the investors.

Based on a complaint filed by M Yashwanth Kumar and 240 others, a case under sections 406, 420 r/w 34 IPC was registered against Boodati Laxminarayana, MD, Sahiti Infratech Ventures India Pvt. Ltd.

A total of 50 cases have been registered against Sahiti Infratech Ventures India Private Limited and its directors.

As per case details, Boodati Laxminarayana's other directors, their authorized signatories, and the marketing team have induced the complainant and other victims, which consists of nearly 1,752 members, and cheated in the name of constructing high-rise apartments with 32 floors in 10 towers in Sahiti Sarvani Elite spread over 23 acres in Ameenpur Village, in Sanga Reddy district.

It is pertinent to mention here that the accused announced the prelaunch offer much before buying the land and obtaining the requisite permissions from HMDA, GHMC, etc.

The builder started collecting deposits from the customers in June 2019, whereas he bought 10 of 23 acres of land during 2019-20 by using these deposits. Nine acres have been taken on agreement of sale and there was an unregistered sale agreement for four acres. The builder further submitted that he applied for HMDA permission on May 16 and June 13, 2022. Subsequently, the HMDA gave him permission on August 1, 2022. After collecting Rs 504 crore, he started the following projects by investing the money of the above victims and collected money from other projects also.

But he hasn’t completed them either. Here is a list of the projects, the number of customers, and the amount collected from them:

1. Sahiti’s Swadha Commercial in Nanakramguda: Rs 65 crore (approx.) from 69 customers

2. Shista Abode in Kompally, Medchal: Rs 79 crore (approx.) from 248 customers

3. Sahiti Green in Kompally which was cancelled later: Rs 40 crore (approx.) from 153 customers

4. Sahiti’s Sitara Commercial Rolling Hills in Gachibowli: Rs 135 crore (approx.) from 269 customers

5. Sahiti’s Maheto Centro in Banjara Hills: Rs 22 crore (approx.) from 44 customers

6. Anand Fortune in Nizampet: Rs 45.50 crore (approx.) from 120 customers

7. Sahiti Kruthi Blossom in Gachibowli: Rs 16 crore (approx.) from 25 customers

8. Sahiti Sudeeksha in Mokila: Rs 22 crore (approx.) from 30 customers

9. Ruby con Sahiti in Bachipally: Rs 6.9 crore (approx.) from 43 customers