Visakhapatnam: More skeletons tumble out of cupboard

Visakhapatnam: More skeletons are tumbling out of the cupboard as the case pertaining to Byri Ajith Kumar Reddy alias Sanjay Gurade, a native of Hanamkonda in Warangal district, unfolds amid twists and turns.

Initially, he was found to be pretending only as a US-returned robotics expert who taught tuition classes under the banner Vasista classes in Visakhapatnam.

But the latest twist is that he is an army deserter and also had duped several retired army personnel of their hard-earned money, according to police.

While he collected Rs 1.66 crore from Appala Venkata Syam Sundar from East Godavari district in the garb of setting up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics centre along with robotics and IIT, it is learnt that earlier, he also duped Col (retd) K Satish Omar to the tune of Rs 46.40 in 2016 in Hyderabad. Later, the case was closed as Gurade could not be located.

The interrogation of the accused, the CID police said, had revealed that Gurade joined Indian Army in 1997 after completing BTech and served as Lt Colonel till the end of February 2016. Later, he was declared as a deserter of Indian Army wherein the authorities concerned registered a case with various police agencies to trace him. A look out notice was also said to have been issued on the accused.

It is learnt that Gurade also cheated several retired army personnel at Secunderabad assuring them to help own plots, collecting hefty sums from them.

The army personnel appreciated the efforts of the CID officials, including G V G Ashok Kumar, Superintendent of Police, EOW, and L V Srinivasa Rao, Additional SP, CID, Visakhapatnam, for tracing Gurade at LB Nagar in Hyderabad, arrested him and produced him in the court. He was later sent to judicial custody in the first week of October. At present, he is remanded in judicial custody at the Central prison in Visakhapatnam.

The AP CID police is investigating the case. The police appealed to victims to approach the office by dialling contact Nos: 8331043260 or 9440700856.