Vizianagaram police bust gang of car rental cheats, recover 29 cars

VISAKHAPATNAM: The

Vizianagaram

police have busted a three-member gang involved in cheating people on the pretext of earning income via car rental. The police have recovered 29 cars worth over Rs two crore from the gang.

The police said that two of the three members were arrested. The arrested persons have been identified as M

Chandramouli

, a native of Parvathipuram in Vizianagarm district and L Siva Ramakrishna, a resident of Seethampeta in

Srikakulam district

. The cops have launched a manhunt for the absconding accused S Ravi, a native of Bobbili Town in

Vizianagaram district

.

The gang used to identify the car owners in need of money and they would promise the owners monthly income of minimum Rs25,000 as rent on their car. Worried over the EMIs and vehicle maintenance, people would easily fall prey to the offer.


Vizianagaram police chief B

Raja Kumari

said that one P Rajesh of

Srikakulam

district, had filed an

FIR

on May 29, claiming that M Chandramouli had promised him a monthly income (Rs29,000) in the form of rent for his car. Chandramouli and L Siva Ramakrishna took away his car after entering an agreement. They neither gave him money nor returned his car. Later, Rajesh came to know that the duo mortgaged the car.



Based on Rajesh’s complaint, the Parvathipuram police investigated the case and they nabbed Chandramouli. The investigation has revealed that Chandramouli along with two others used to hire cars in Vizianagaram, Vizag and Srikakulam districts by paying little advance and never used to return them. He used to extend the hire period. Upon the interrogation, Chandramouli revealed that they had so far mortgaged 29 rented cars to various persons by taking loans of Rs2 to Rs2.5 lakh. The gang pledged the rented cars for easy money to meet their vices and other expenses, Raja Kumari added.



The owners of the cars from Parvathipuram, Battili, Seethampeta, Cheedikada and

Vizag city

have claimed 23 cars which were seized from the gang. The police said that no one came forward to claim the remaining six seized cars. The police said that some gangs have been involved in cheating the people on the pretext of earning income via car rental during the Covid-induced financial crisis and the police appealed the people beware of such gangs.

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