HYDERABAD: A 29-year-old driver was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl and five years for kidnapping her in 2020 by the Fast Track Special Judge for Trial and Disposal of Rape and Pocso Act Cases in Rajendranagar.
According to Cyberabad police, on January 8, 2020, Chandanagar police registered a complaint from the victim’s brother after she went missing around 8 pm. The accused, M. Sandeep of Bidar, Karnataka, who lived in her colony, had befriended and threatened her. On the pretext of attending a birthday, he took her to Kukatpally, then to a hotel and later to his aunt’s vacant house, where he sexually assaulted her.
Based on her statement, the case was altered to Sections 366 and 376(3) IPC and Section 3 r/w 4 of the Pocso Act. Inspector B. Ravinder arrested Sandeep and filed a chargesheet after investigation.
Following the trial, Judge P. Anjaneyulu convicted him and awarded 10 years RI with a fine of Rs 5,000 for rape and five years RI with a fine of Rs 3,000 for kidnapping. The court also directed payment of Rs 3 lakh as compensation to the victim.
Hyderabad student killed in US mishap
Hyderabad: A 20-year-old student from Hyderabad died in a road accident in Connecticut, United States, on Friday. The deceased, Mohammed Zaid of Malakpet, was pursuing Health Professions and Related Clinical Science at the University of Bridgeport.
On September 7, while stepping out to buy groceries, he was hit by a speeding car. He was admitted to St. Vincent’s Medical Centre under Hartford Healthcare, where he died due to his injuries.
Zaid’s parents, Mohammed Ismail and Nikhat Begum, have appealed to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and the Indian government to help bring back his body for the final rites. Officials said efforts are underway to assist the process.
Victims’ alertness, police action saved Rs 1.18 L
HYDERABAD: Timely intervention by cyber crime officials and the alertness of the victim saved Rs 1.18 lakh from being siphoned into a fraudster’s account, Hyderabad cyber crime police said on Friday.
On September 11, the victim, a 48-year-old tailor from Mughalpura, received an APK file titled RTO CHALLAN on his phone, which he mistakenly installed. The malware gained access to his device and began forwarding banking OTPs to fraudsters. Soon after, debit messages from his credit card revealed multiple fraudulent transactions.
The victim rushed to the cyber crime police station, where constable N. Srikanth Naik, who was handling NCRP complaints, inspected the phone and removed the malicious app. An analysis revealed that fraudsters had logged into the victim’s Flipkart, Amazon and Myntra accounts, exploiting saved card details to place orders worth Rs 95,239. These were set for expedited delivery to bypass banking alerts. Swift police action ensured all confirmed orders were cancelled and the amount refunded.
In a similar case, a 35-year-old techie from Ashok Nagar lost Rs 23,532 after fraudsters used the same method to place online orders. Police intervention safeguarded the money. Earlier this month, a Secunderabad-based doctor lost nearly Rs 12 lakh after downloading a fake APK file linked to a courier delivery scam. The malware drained his account within hours.
Police urged citizens not to download APK files received through WhatsApp, SMS or social media, stressing that apps should only be installed from official app stores. They also advised against saving card details on e-commerce platforms and sharing sensitive data such as OTPs or CVV numbers.
LIC agent duped in four-day ‘digital arrest’
HYDERABAD: An LIC agent from Hyderabad was held in a four-day ‘digital arrest’ by cyber fraudsters who accused her of sharing child porn videos, police said on Friday. The financial loss is yet to be ascertained.
According to reports, the victim received a WhatsApp video call from a fraudster posing as an officer of the Mumbai crime branch. She was told that the police had detected suspicious activity from her WhatsApp number and had registered a case.
She was further threatened with immediate arrest unless she complied with their directions and transferred money as demanded. Terrified, the woman remained under their control for four days before realising she had been duped. She then approached Hyderabad’s cyber crime wing.
ACP Siva Murthy said the victim has not yet lodged a formal complaint. “Once an FIR is filed, details will become clearer,” he said, adding that further investigation is underway.
Woman, lover kill 2-yr-old, bury body in Medak
HYDERABAD: In a shocking incident, a 22-year-old woman and her lover allegedly killed her two-year-old daughter and buried the body in Sabashila, Shivampet mandal of Medak district.
According to Toopran DSP Narender Goud, the accused Mamata and Fayyaz, 30, had been in an extramarital affair for over a year. Mamata, married to Raju five years ago, had two children with him: a five-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter.
In March 2025, Mamata and Fayyaz attempted to elope but were traced by Raipoli police after her in-laws lodged a missing complaint. She was handed back to her family. However, in May, Mamata again eloped with Fayyaz, this time taking her daughter along. On May 27, Raju lodged another missing complaint, this time with Shivampet police.
Following months of call data analysis and mobile tracing, police apprehended Mamata and Fayyaz in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. During interrogation, the duo gave evasive replies when questioned about the girl’s whereabouts. Initially, they claimed she had suffered seizures and died in Andhra Pradesh.
“On further questioning, they admitted that on June 7, they returned to Sabashila, strangled the child to death and buried her in an isolated spot in the village. They confessed they killed her because she had fallen sick and they felt it was unsafe to travel with her,” DSP Narender said. After the killing, the pair returned to Andhra Pradesh.
The accused later led police to the burial site, where forensic teams collected remains and evidence. “The body was decomposed. Only the femur was recovered, while the rest had turned powdery,” the DSP added.
Police have arrested Mamata and Fayyaz. After a press meet on Saturday, they will be produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. Further investigation is underway.
Fraudsters siphon off Rs 32 lakh
Hyderabad: Fraudsters siphoned off a total of Rs 32 lakh through digital arrest, job offer, and prepaid task scams in two separate cyber fraud cases registered with the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police.
In the first case, a 75-year-old resident of Yakutpura was cheated of Rs 21.01 lakh in a digital arrest scam. Fraudsters posing as Bengaluru police officers claimed that his Aadhaar card had been misused in money laundering and threatened to arrest him.
During WhatsApp video calls, one impersonator appeared in an IPS officer’s uniform, displayed fake documents, and termed the case a “national secret.” Under extreme pressure, the victim transferred the money in five RTGS transactions between August 19 and September 2. When the demands continued to rise, he approached the cybercrime police.
In another set of cases, cybercriminals trapped two victims with fake job offers on WhatsApp and Telegram. A 35-year-old woman from Abids lost Rs 10.25 lakh after being lured into prepaid task investments, while a 44-year-old man from Asifnagar was duped of Rs 1.61 lakh in a similar job-related scam. Both were initially shown profits, but once larger deposits were made, the fraudsters blocked withdrawals and demanded additional payments.
Police have urged citizens not to trust unsolicited offers, share personal information, or transfer money under pressure. Victims are advised to report such crimes immediately to the 1930 Cyber Helpline or at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
