HYDERABAD: A former cricketer, who had reportedly played in under-23 Ranji matches, has been arrested for allegedly cheating the CMD of a company by claiming to be the PA of Telangana minister K T Rama Rao, police said on Saturday.

A complaint was received on January 13 from the accounts officer of a private firm that the CMD of his company has been cheated by a man to the tune of Rs 3.30 lakh, a press release from the police said.

In December last, the accused B Nagaraju who hailed from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradeshhad allegedly called the CMD and introduced himself as Tirupati, personal assistant to the IT Minister. He told the CMD that a cricket player from Andhra Pradesh has been selected for an Under-25 world cup to be held in England but he is in need of sponsorship as he hails from a poor family, the release said.

The accused also allegedly told the CMD that the logo of the latters company would be displayed on the cricket kit and it would be handed over to the cricket player by the minister, it said. The CMD of the private firm believed the accused and transferred the money to the bank account furnished by him. Later on, he realised that he had been cheated.

The accused was previously involved in many cases in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He previously played cricket in the Ranji trophies under 23 for Andhra Pradesh, the release said. In 2014, Nagaraju represented the State in Ranji Trophy and entered into Guinness World Records for playing cricket non-stop for 82 hours. This unique record brought him many sponsorships. The accused who was an MBA graduate used his fame to dupe people in order to lead a luxury lifestyle. The accused was arrested in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, police added. (PTI)

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