Hyderabad’s Chilkalguda police have successfully busted a sophisticated car rental scam, apprehending two men allegedly responsible for defrauding numerous car owners. The operation resulted in the recovery of seven four-wheelers, estimated to be worth a substantial ₹80 lakh.
The arrested individuals have been identified as 44-year-old Sangishetty Praveen Kumar, a driver residing in Namalagundu, and 32-year-old G. Amarendar, a businessman from Tarnaka. Their alleged accomplice, 33-year-old Md. Rizwan of Mustaidpura, remains at large.
According to police officials from Chilkalguda, Praveen allegedly enticed car owners with promises of lucrative monthly rentals, ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 per vehicle. To build trust, he would initially make a few installment payments. Once he had gained their confidence, Praveen and his associates would cease payments, refuse to return the vehicles, and subsequently sell them across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The gang reportedly accumulated over ₹7 lakh in unpaid rental dues from their victims.
The elaborate fraud came to light following a complaint lodged by N. Gyaneshwar, an Amberpet resident. Gyaneshwar stated that Praveen, posing as a representative of a logistics firm, had taken eight vehicles from him and his friends three months prior. When confronted about the outstanding rent or the return of the cars, Praveen admitted to handing over the vehicles to his associates, Rizwan and Amarendar, after receiving ₹9.1 lakh from them.
The Chilkalguda Police swiftly acted on the complaint, arresting Praveen and Amarendar. They have since recovered seven of the stolen vehicles, which belonged to owners from various locations including Amberpet, Karimnagar, Bansilalpet, and Ameenpur.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Zone) B. Balaswamy revealed that the accused have a history of involvement in similar criminal activities across both Telugu states. He strongly advised vehicle owners to thoroughly verify the credentials of any agencies or individuals before entering into car rental agreements to safeguard their assets.