Fake preacher and aides arrested in Kurnool

TIRUPATI: A

fake preacher

along with his two accomplices were arrested by

Rajampet

police for trying to dupe people by making claims of being able to identify and unearth hidden treasure. The fake preacher, Shaik Mahaboob Basha alias Usman Ali Khan from Gooty in Ananthapuram district, would go by the name of ‘Syed

Baba

’. After a series of trivial jobs, Basha joined hands with Murali from Enampally village to make

quick money

.

Basha would claim that he possessed occult knowledge and made people believe that he could identify treasure hidden beneath the earth and went on to collect Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 from them. Murali, who used to identify targets, died nearly two months back of Covid-19. Following this, Basha tied up with Murali’s associate, Sunnapuralla Venkatesulu. The two brought in Sane Sathish, an ITI graduate, who provided Basha with SIM cards

With an intention Rs 150 crore worth of unaccounted money presumed to be hidden below the house of a liquor businessman in Bellary, the three broke into the house but returned empty-handed. They made similar break-ins at Anantapuram, Tirupati, Molakamuru and Rajampet but were not successful. Acting on credible information, the three were picked from

Bellary

Chowrasta in

Kurnool

early on Friday.


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