Overview
- A group posing as police seized ₹20 lakh from Kerala travellers at a Madivala lodge, and the travellers filed a complaint after the men left suspiciously.
- CCTV footage and a covert recording helped identify suspects, and one accused, Kupendra Reddy, was arrested and named a CID inspector during interrogation.
- Inspector Mahesh Kanakagiri and two others, Kupendra Reddy and Vasanth Kumar, were arrested and the full ₹20 lakh and the jeep used in the incident were recovered.
- Police have booked the accused on sections covering dacoity, assault, intimidation and criminal conspiracy and have formed a special team to continue the probe.
- Investigators are examining whether the victims were lured by a high‑return trading scheme and are also probing departmental oversight because an on‑duty CID officer’s identity card and vehicle were used.