Interstate Pseudo IPS/Colonel offender nabbed

Crimes committed

♦ Pose as an Army or Police officer and threatened and extorted people

♦ Worked as a cab driver for a private travel in Sanathnagar and stole a car from the company

♦ Stole two cars from a software company owner in Punjagutta

♦ Posed as a major in the Indian Army and started training aspirants by establishing SainikDefence Training Centre illegally

♦ Robbed a sex worker in Rajahmundry

♦ Assaulted a drug peddler posing as a cop

♦ Robbed a trader from Banjara Hills posing as an Intelligence Wing officer in 2020

♦ Extorted money from an ambulance services owner in RC Puram

♦ Posing as an Army Colonel, he inaugurated a hospital in Miyapur for which he charged the management Rs 1.3 lakh

♦ Also kidnapped a man and robbed him of Rs 2 lakh in KPHB

♦ Kidnapped and extorted money from an elderly man in Gandhinagar

Hyderabad: The Cyberabad Special Operations Teams Shamshabad Zone at Madhapur on Wednesday nabbed a notorious interstate Pseudo IPS/Colonel offender who extorted people. A country made pistol, 9 live rounds, uniforms, ID cards, arm badges, combat shoes, lamps, hand cups, crossed swords and other material worth Rs 2 lakh was seized from him.

The arrested person, Naga Raju Karthik alias Karthik (25), from Bhimavaramwas previously involved in eight similar cases in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand.

“Karthik planned to pose as an Army or Police officer and threatened and extorted people. In Hyderabad, he had introduced himself as Special Operations Team officer and targeted people in secluded colonies, crowded places and late night,” said A Srinivas Rao, In-charge DCP Madhapur.

According to police, Karthik, who is a graduate, has aspired of becoming an officer since his college days and had also appeared for the SI and constable exams, but could not clear them. He came to Hyderabad in 2016 and took up odd jobs before turning to crime.

In 2017, he worked as a cab driver for a private travel in Sanathnagar and stole a car from the company. In 2018, he stole two cars from a software company owner in Punjagutta.

During this time, he came into contact with one Bikkudar Das who is an Ex-Army officer working for a security service and from their discussions, gained knowledge about Army ranks, uniform, batches and other vital information. Further, he purchased uniform of the major rank in the PARASF regiment.

He went to his native place and informed his relatives and friends that he was recruited as major in the Indian Army and also started training aspirants wanting to join the police force and Army by establishing SainikDefence Training Centre illegally. The local police in Podur in AP, soon found his illegalities and nabbed him.

Following this, he was involved in a series of crimes which included robbing a trader from Banjara Hills posing as an Intelligence Wing officer in 2020, extorting money from an ambulance services owner in RC Puram. Interestingly, posing as an Army Colonel, he inaugurated a hospital in Miyapur for which he charged the management Rs 1.3 lakh. He also kidnapped a man and robbed him of Rs 2 lakh in KPHB.

Subsequently, he was arrested and detained under the Preventive Detention Act in May 2022 and recently released.

Police said after being released from the prison, Karthik, continued his criminal activities and robbed a sex worker in Rajahmundry and assaulted a drug peddler posing as a cop

He recently came to Hyderabad and after purchasing police related uniforms, handcuffs, lathi, pistol pouch and other material from a dealer in Old City and started threatening people posing as police inspector. He kidnapped and extorted money from an elderly man in Gandhinagar and cheated Rs 9 lakh at Devaghar of Jharkhand.