Four Held in Secunderabad Over Alleged Passport Broker Extortion
Police say the arrests followed a complaint about operators who promised same‑day clearances then demanded extra money, prompting an SOT probe into a possible wider network.
Overview
- Malkajgiri Commissionerate’s Special Operations Team arrested four men accused of cheating passport applicants by promising to speed up pending applications for a fee.
- Police identified the suspects as Shivarathri Siddulu, Thummala Venkatesh, Varikuppala Aswin Kumar and Pallepu Deepak and handed them to Monda Market police for further questioning.
- The case began after a complainant said she paid Rs 6,000 to a broker near the Regional Passport Office in Secunderabad who then demanded additional money and threatened to block the application.
- Authorities registered a criminal case under Sections 308, 316(2) and 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and say investigations are continuing to find other victims or links.
- Police records show one accused had a prior cheating case from 2023, which investigators say could point to repeat offending or an established local broker network exploiting passport delays.