Hyderabad, Mar 6 (IANS): The Hyderabad Police have arrested a former Ranji cricketer who pretended to be the personal secretary to Telangana minister KT Rama Rao and conned several companies of Rs 40 lakh.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that the accused, B. Nagaraju, is an MBA graduate and cricketer who represented Andhra Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy from 2014 to 2016, and hails from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

According to police, Nagaraju, 25, used to call up corporate entities such as hospitals, realtors and educational institutions, and introduce himself as Bandaru Tirupati, personal secretary to Telangana minister KT Rama Rao (KTR), the son of chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.

Stating that KTR is going to be sworn in as chief minister, the accused would allegedly collect money from the victims, under the pretext of organising the swearing-in ceremony, erecting billboards, print and television advertisements.

"In this way, he collected Rs 39,22,400 from nine corporate entities," Anjani Kumar told mediapersons on Saturday.

A cellphone and Rs 10 lakh were confiscated from the accused, against whom nine cases have been filed in seven police stations falling under the jurisdiction of Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissionerate.

The police said that Nagaraju is a repeat offender who was previously arrested for 10 cases filed between 2018 and 2020. The accused had turned to crime when he was no longer playing cricket, to sustain the luxurious lifestyle he got accustomed to from sponsorships he secured as a Ranji player.

On securing bail, he resumed his criminal activities. Following several complaints filed against him, he was trapped on Saturday, by a team of the Commissioner's task force on Saturday.