An extortion racket involving the blackmail of cattle transporters has been busted by the Adilabad police. Image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
An extortion racket involving the blackmail of cattle transporters has been busted by the Adilabad police, with the mastermind identified as Sandeep, a serving police constable with the Maharashtra Police.
The racket spanned across Telangana and Maharashtra, targeting vehicles on National Highway 44, said Adilabad District Superintendent of Police (SP) Akhil Mahajan. “The gang had been threatening drivers transporting cattle, extorting lakhs of rupees each month under the threat of violence or false police complaints,” said the officer.
Among those arrested are Chetan Singh and Jangili Anvesh, both from Neradigonda, Masjid Anand from Ichoda, and Mohammed Mazar from Adilabad.
A case has been registered at the Neradigonda police station of Adilabad against the 11 individuals. Apart from the four arrested, the remaining accused, including the constable, are currently absconding. A special police team has been formed to track them down.
According to the SP, the gang operated under the pretext of checking vehicles for illegal cattle transportation but in practice was extorting money as a regular business. “The constable, Sandeep, allegedly coordinated operations from Maharashtra, while in Telangana, a rowdy-sheeter named Rohit Shinde is said to have played a key role in threatening transporters and collecting payments,” explained the officer.
The SP urged victims of the racket to come forward without fear, assuring them of protection and justice. “We are committed to cracking down on both the illegal trafficking of cattle and the extortion that has grown around it,” said Mahajan.
Published – July 12, 2025 07:02 PM is
