Hyderabad Police Arrest 10 Posing As Cops In Jeweller Kidnapping Over Property Dispute

The Hindu•Published: Oct 17, 2026 08:19 PM IST

Hyderabad police arrested 10 members of an extortion gang who impersonated police personnel to kidnap 53-year-old jewellery businessman K. Srinivas Rao over an ongoing real estate dispute. The abduction occurred on October 5, 2026, when the gang intercepted Rao near Golnaka flyover, initially demanding a ₹15 crore ransom before releasing him after his family paid ₹1.30 crore.

Abduction & Impersonation: Gang members intercepted Rao while he was driving to his Ramanthapur shop, blindfolded him, and transported him between hideouts using multiple vehicles fitted with fraudulent number plates.
Dispute & Motive: Prime accused Dumavath Srikanth, a builder facing 16 prior fraud cases, hatched the scheme in August 2026 to extort cash and compel Rao into signing an agreement of sale-cum-general power of attorney over a Boduppal property.
Arrests & Recoveries: Secunderabad Zone Task Force and Chikkadpally police tracked down 10 suspects, seizing ₹1.07 crore of the ransom money, 118.26 grams of gold jewellery, nine mobile devices, and five vehicles.

The Context & Background

Investigators began tracking the syndicate after Rao's brother-in-law filed a missing person complaint on October 5. Police revealed that key operative Gunjapogu Suresh and several other gang members already held extensive criminal records involving armed robbery and extortion.

What's Next:Police teams are actively tracking two absconding accomplices, Srinivas Reddy and Vikas, while coordinating efforts to recover the remaining ₹23 lakh of the extorted ransom. The brazen operation has prompted law enforcement in Hyderabad to tighten surveillance against criminal syndicates using fake number plates to impersonate police officers.

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