Chulukuru (Kodad): A suspended police constable duped people of several lakhs of rupees by luring them with high interest rates for their investments, in Kodad, Suryapet district.

According to the police, the accused, who was identified as Sriram China Gopalkrishna, served as a police constable. In 2009, he secured a sub-inspector post in the police department through impersonation. Following the charges and subsequent probe, Gopalkrishna was suspended from service and the case is pending in court.

As he has no employment, Gopalkrishna tried his hand at real estate business. Later, to earn quick money, he targeted people — among his friends and relatives by luring them with high interest rate for their deposits. Several of those relatives deposited their earnings with Gopalkrishna.

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Initially, he tried to earn a good name by giving attractive monthly returns to the amount that was deposited. Later, he targeted gullible people in the surrounding villages of Old and New Kondapuram, Ramapuram, Polenigudem, Bethavolu, Huzurnagar and some parts of Hyderabad. The police said that Gopalkrishna took money from people by claiming that he was doing real estate, liquor, and construction businesses and failed to return the money. Calls to his number went unanswered. Following a complaint lodged with the police, a case under cheating has been registered against him.