Self-styled godmen dupe Telangana MLA's family, make away with Rs 57 lakh

The godmen promised to make Parkala MLA Challa Dharma Reddy a minister in the Telangana cabinet.

The Telangana police are on the lookout for two men who posed as godmen and cheated a TRS MLA's family to the tune of Rs 57 lakh. Parkala MLA Challa Dharma Reddy's daughter was duped by two men claiming to perform pujas to make Reddy a minister in the K Chandrasekhar Rao cabinet.

Self-styled godmen Lakshman and Vamsi, both residents of Kareemabad in Warangal approached Parkala MLA's daughter Manasa Reddy and promised to make her father a cabinet minister. The duo met Manasa for the first time six months ago. THey promised to perform special rituals to ensure that the TRS MLA got a cabinet berth but by the end of six months, Manasa was duped of Rs 57 lakhs.

The police claim that the duo is currently absconding. "The family has a strong belief in rituals and pujas. They approached the MLA's daughter six months ago and sought Rs 1 lakh initially to perform rituals to ward off evil. IT continued for the next few months before she realised that she was being duped, the duo had managed to fleece Rs 57 lakh," said a police officer.

The duo managed to convince Manasa about their rituals bringing definite results. When the family saw no sign of Reddy becoming a minister, they started questioning the duo. With the Telangana Chief Minister ruling out the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle or expansion, the family lost all its hopes.

On July 14, the duo visited Manasa again and sought more money. An enraged Manasa asked them to return all the money that they had taken from her. The godmen are said to have warned Manasa that if she did not pay and allowed them to perform this ritual, all the previous rituals would be wasted. Unwilling to pay any more, Manasa refused. The duo quietly left the place and have been absconding ever since.

Manasa then filed a complaint with the Warangal police. An embarrassed Reddy told the media that he did not believe in such rituals. "I am a religious person but I do not believe in superstition or such rituals. Making me a cabinet minister is left to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao," he said while accepting that his daughter had been duped. The police are now on the lookout for the conmen who posed as godmen and fleeced an MLA's family.

OneIndia News