Nearly 10 days after the kidnap of the 22-year-old B Pharmacy student from Hayathnagar, the Rachakonda police, along with the Andhra Pradesh police, nabbed the suspect, Ravi Sekhar, from Krishna district on Saturday and booked him on charges of kidnap and sexual assault.
The arrest comes as the culmination of efforts of 10 special teams that were sent to various districts in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, while the AP police too were alerted as Sekhar was involved in many offences there.
According to the police, last Wednesday Sekhar drove in a stolen car to Kadapa, along with the woman, on the pretext of getting the signature of a government official.
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“He drove the car telling her that her parents were following them in a different car. She believed him and stayed calm. After reaching Kadapa, he took her to secluded places and halted at petrol pumps,” said Mahesh M Bhagwat, Police Commissioner, Rachakonda.
Moving around in Kadapa, Kurnool and Prakasam districts, he then took her into a forest area where he sexually assaulted her in the car, the Commissioner said, adding that Sekhar had threatened to kill her if she raised an alarm.
On Monday morning, he went to Veerlapalem, Miryalguda, and changed the number plate midway. Locking the victim inside the car, he went into a fertilizer shop posing as a Vigilance officer and extorted money and jewellery from the owner. Further, when the victim insisted on speaking to her parents, he threatened her. When she tried to escape, he caught hold of her.
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“He forcibly took her to Chilkaluripeta and left her in the nearby bazaar and escaped from there. She reached Addanki bus stand and returned to Hyderabad the next morning,” Bhagwat said.
Sekhar then went to Prakasam and due to fear of being caught, was searching for shelter. Finally, on reaching Panthangi toll gate near Choutuppal in the same stolen car, he was caught by the special team. Officials seized the car, four cell phones, SIM cards, cash and jewellery from him.
He was remanded in judicial custody.
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Ravi Sekhar had the gift of the gab
Ravi Sekhar, who was arrested on charges of kidnap and sexual assault, is involved in around 48 cases, most of them relating to cheating.
He was earlier arrested by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh police in several cases. He was convicted in 14 cases and is wanted in 12 cases. Six non-bailable warrants are pending against him. Posing as government officials and cops, he cheated several people.
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Sekhar’s family is into agriculture and he has two children. His wife died five years ago.
According to the police, Sekhar was smartly dressed and could pose as any official he wanted. His communication skills too helped him. He carried files and travelled in cars to meet businessmen and government employees posing as a Vigilance officer, Income Tax officer, etc.
“He told them he had come for a raid, threatened and extorted money. He also lured several women promising them jobs, money, loans and to construct houses. He trapped them and indulged in sexual activities with them before escaping,” Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat said.
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He had also looted people posing as an Anti-Corruption Bureau officer and also as an official from Income Tax, Vigilance and Enforcement and CID wings. He also cheated Aanganwadi and Asha workers, Bhagwat said, adding that Sekhar had first cheated his distant relative promising a job in KCP Sugar Factory in AP in 2001. He was arrested in the case and jailed.