BHARATH NEWS DIGITAL: AP
BAPATLA DISTRICT POLICE TRIUMPHED THE PRESTIGIOUS STATE LEVEL “”AWARD FOR BEST CRIME DETECTION”” — A.P. DGP HARISH KUMAR GUPTA, IPS., SPECIALLY CONGRATULATED AND PRESENTED THE AWARD TO DISTRICT SP B. UMAMAHESWAR, IPS.,
The A.P. State Police Department announced the prestigious “”Award for Best Crime Detection”” to Bapatla District SP B. Umamaheswar, IPS, and the district police team for effectively solving a case involving the creation of fake websites resembling those of the Tourism Department and defrauding tourists, and for successfully conducting the subsequent investigation.
The Bapatla District SP and the concerned police team received this award today at the Andhra Pradesh Police Headquarters from the hands of Andhra Pradesh State DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, IPS. On this occasion, Harish Kumar Gupta specially congratulated the Bapatla District SP and the Bapatla District Police team for cleverly arresting the cyber criminals who were creating fake websites.
Looking at the details of this case, the Andhra Pradesh State Government has introduced a new tourism policy that will be in effect from 2024 to 2029. The government has allocated Rs. 469 crores for the implementation of this policy, for the development of tourism infrastructure and the creation of new employment opportunities. However, cyber criminals, under the guise of the tourism sector, were committing crimes and looting the money of tourists and devotees, thereby undermining the government’s intentions and goals. Cyber criminals are creating fake websites resembling the official websites of the tourism department and several renowned temples, and are swindling money from tourists and devotees. The government has taken serious note of this incident of cybercrime involving the creation of fake websites of the government tourism department. Taking this case as a challenge, the police used technology to arrest the cybercriminals from Rajasthan.
In a complaint filed by G. Ashok, the manager of Suryalanka “”Haritha Resorts”” near Bapatla, it was stated that tourists were being cheated through a fake website operating under the name “Harith Beach Resorts. Suryalanka”. Based on this complaint, the police registered a case on June 16, 2024, at the Bapatla Rural Police Station under Crime Number 110/2024, under sections 420 of the IPC and 66-D of the IT Act.
In this case, the police arrested two accused from Rajasthan who had created fake websites in the names of tourist places and temples and cheated people across the country. The investigation revealed that the accused had created fake websites in the names of APTDC Haritha Resorts in Suryalanka, as well as Tirumala, Srisailam, and Trimbakeshwar temples, and committed fraud. The police identified that the accused had cheated people of approximately 46 to 50 lakh rupees through 127 complaints across 18 states. Special teams were formed to crack this cybercrime case, and on July 23, 2025, the police arrested the accused, Paramjeet (20) and Bittu (21), in Dig district of Rajasthan state and seized a mobile phone from them.
Bapatla District SP B. Umamaheswar, IPS, along with G. Ramanjaneyulu/ DSP/ Bapatla, K. Srinivas Rao/ Inspector of Police/ Bapatla Rural Police Station, T. Srikanth/ Reserve Inspector of Police/ Cyber Cell, Sheikh Nayab Rasool/ (formerly SI, Bapatla IT Core)/ currently CI/ Tenali Rural, P. Subbaraju/ Head Constable/ Bapatla Rural Police Station, V. Ramesh/ Head Constable/ Bapatla Rural Police Station, D. Suresh/ Constable/ IT Core, K. Nagaraju/ Constable/ Bapatla Rural Police Station, K. Bujji Raju/ Constable/ Bapatla Rural Police Station, Woman Constable D. Tabitha/ IT Core, and Woman Constable I. Keerthi/ IT Core, were among those who received the Award for Best Crime Detection from the DGP.
RAVI KUMAR AND KOTA SREENIVAS // SENIOR JOURNALISTS// HYDERABAD.
