Ex-Ranji cricketer arrested for collecting money for 'KTR's swearing-in as Telangana CM ceremony'

The Hyderabad police have arrested one ex-Ranji player for extorting money from corporate companies in Hyderabad for IT minister KT Rama Rao's “swearing-in ceremony as Telangana Chief Minister.”

The accused was posing as the personal secretary of Telangana IT, industries and municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR.

Budumuru Nagaraju (25), a post-graduate in business administration, had represented Andhra Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy matches during the 2014-2016 season.

Budumuru made the company representatives believe that the contribution was for erecting hoardings, advertisements in the print and electronic Media “about KTR's swearing-in ceremony as Telangana Chief Minister.”

Earlier this year, Telangana political circles were abuzz with the talk that KTR would soon replace his father K Chandrasekhar Rao as the CM. However, addressing a party meet last month, Rao himself has put an end to such speculation stating that he was in the pink of health and would remain the CM for the next ten years.”

According to the police, the accused had targeted corporate companies in the medical, realty and educational sector by gaining their phone numbers on the net. He then made calls introducing himself as Bandari Tirupati, personal secretary to KTR. Informing the company representatives that KTR's swearing-in as the CM of Telangana is soon to be held at the Lal Bahadur Stadium, he demanded money from them for erecting hoardings, advertisements tin Print & Electronic Media about the ceremony.

Budumuru thus collected over Rs 39 lakhs in six cases and was demanding money in three other cases. The nine cases are registered under various police stations of Hyderabad and Cyberabad commissionerates. The police seized Rs 10 lakh and the cell phone used in the commission of offence.

Anjani Kumar, Hyderabad police commissioner said that Budumuru is “most wanted cheater and habitual white-collar offender.”

A native of Polaki in Srikakulam District of AP, Budumru was previously arrested in 10 cases registered in Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore cities in the two Telugu states.

“During his cricketing career, Budumuru was getting sponsorships from various firms and so got habituated to a luxurious lifestyle, and developed various vices. He turned to crime to earn easy money through illegal channels to sustain his lavish lifestyle,” the commissioner said.

Budumuru, with a criminal record since 2018, and released on bail in the earlier cases, “did not change his attitude and continued his cheating attitude.”

Based on credible information, the North Zone Task Force cops laid a trap and apprehended the accused on Saturday.