The kingpin of a large-scale rental car scam was arrested by the Jagadgirigutta police and 26 vehicles worth ₹2.5 crore were seized from him. The fraudulent scheme, orchestrated by the accused, Appari Vishwa Phanindra, involved deceiving vehicle owners by promising monthly rental payments, only to abscond with the cars and sell them illegally.
The case came to light following a complaint by one Shashidhar on January 27, after failing to recover either his vehicle or the agreed rental payments from VVV Cars Tours and Travels, owned by Phanindra. When the complainant approached the company’s office, he met several other victims who had similar complaints.
Investigation revealed that the accused took vehicles from victims on lease, initially paid lease amounts for a few months to gain trust before ceasing payments and disappearing. Further inquiry revealed that he had mortgaged some of the vehicles while selling others at discounted prices across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The proceeds were used by the accused for personal expenses.
Phanindra, a former car driver in Qatar, had returned to India and started the travel agency, which he ran without the necessary permissions. He was aided by accomplices Chivakala Ramana alias Bonthala Venkata Ramanam, Jakkamsetty Satyanarayana, and Reddy Venkatesh, all of whom remain at large.
The case, which spanned multiple districts, also linked Phanindra to other fraud cases in Kallur in Khammam, which are under investigation.
