Hyderabad: For 24 years, Pishati Laxma Reddy lived with the hope of finding the son who had walked out after a family quarrel and never returned. That hope appeared to come alive when he was told his son had been found at a temple. But what began as an emotional reunion turned into an alleged cheating racket, with the 75-year-old paying money before discovering that the man presented as his son was an impostor.Ibrahimpatnam police have registered a case against two persons, Mohan Reddy and Yadaiah, following a complaint by Laxma Reddy, a resident of Seetharampet village in Ibrahimpatnam mandal of Rangareddy district.Hope rekindled after 24 yearsAccording to the complaint, Laxma Reddy has five daughters and a son, Srinivas Reddy, who left home after disputes with his father 24 years ago and never returned. Despite years of searching, Laxma Reddy could not trace his son.On Sept 16, Laxma Reddy came into contact with Mohan through his relative Kondal Reddy. Mohan reportedly won his confidence and claimed that Srinivas was staying at the Cheruvu Gattu temple.Acting on the information, Laxma Reddy visited the temple on Sept 20. There, Mohan allegedly introduced him to a man dressed as a sadhu and told him that he was Srinivas. The complaint further alleges that Mohan later spoke to Laxma Reddy on the phone while pretending to be his missing son.₹10,000 paid for ‘mala’ removalAt around 11 am on Sept 22, Mohan reportedly visited Laxma Reddy’s home and told him that his son was wearing a mala and that a substantial amount would be required to have it removed. Trusting the claim, the elderly man initially paid ₹10,000 in cash.However, before paying any further amount, Laxma Reddy decided to personally speak to the man said to be his son. On Sept 27, he met him near a function hall in Ibrahimpatnam.During the conversation, Laxma Reddy became suspicious and began questioning him. According to the complaint, the man eventually admitted that he was not Srinivas and had impersonated him at Mohan’s behest. Laxma Reddy alleged that the two had conspired to exploit his emotions and cheat him of money.Based on the complaint, police registered a case under Sections 318(4) and 319(2), read with Section 3(5), of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Sept 27.
