Cheater merchant nabbed, Rs 1.06 lakh recovered

Giddalur: The Cumbum police arrested the merchant who cheated the women and men in rural areas like Cumbum, Bestavaripet and Markapuram mandals by promising that he will pay double the money in a fortnight.

According to the Cumbum SI M Ramanaik, a merchant by name Konda Venkata Murali Krishna, a native of Eepurupalem in Chirala mandal, used to visit the villages in Cunbum, Markapuram, Bestavaripet and other nearby mandals.

He started to gain the confidence of the villagers by offering number of stationary items for cheap prices and installments. Later, he introduced schemes for women that if they pay Rs 1500 in advance, he will return Rs 350 and a saree worth Rs 250 to Rs 300 each week for four weeks and he kept his word.

Then he introduced money scheme and offered double the amount in just a fortnight. Believing his history of keeping the word, many villagers paid Rs 4000 to Rs 50000 to him. When the people contacted him after two weeks, he avoided the phone calls and didn’t return to them.

The villagers complained to the Cumbum police about the cheating of Murali Krishna few days ago. After inquiry, the SI arrested the accused at Kandulapuram center and recovered Rs 1,06,500 from him.

Ramanaik said that about 17 people have complained to the police so far and invited the other people cheated by him to come forward and register complaints. He said that Murali Krishna is involved in the same kind of cheating in East Godavari, Guntur and Krishna districts also.