Hyderabad: A city-based doctor has accused Telugu film actor Manineni Murali Krishna, known as Krishna Manineni, of duping him of ₹80 lakh by promising high returns on investments allegedly linked to railway contracts, prompting the Cyberabad economic offences wing (EOW) to register a criminal case and launch an investigation.The case was registered after the 33-year-old complainant, Ch S Naidu, who runs a clinic in Manikonda, approached EOW officials in the first week of July alleging that he was cheated by Krishna and his associates.According to the complaint, Naidu came in contact with the actor in 2022 through a patient. “She introduced Krishna as a lead actor in two Telugu films, Jetty and Mr Kalyan, and also head of an NGO,“ the complainant alleged.In June 2024, Krishna allegedly approached the doctor with an investment proposal, claiming that he operated a company executing railway contract works in Hubballi, Karnataka. He reportedly promised returns of 8% per month and persuaded the complainant to invest in the venture.As per the complaint, Naidu invested a total of ₹80 lakh through cash payments and bank transfers between Oct 2024 and Sept 2025. “After a few initial returns, he stopped payments from June 2025. He initially gave false explanations involving railway billing delays but later admitted that he was not doing any railway contract works as claimed. When I insisted on repayment, Krishna issued death threats. Later he switched off his phone, vacated his residence and was absconding from known locations,” the complainant alleged.The doctor further alleged that Krishna cheated at least five other investors in a similar fashion, causing losses of more than ₹6.43 crore by allegedly using fabricated railway procurement documents to gain their trust.Based on the complaint, EOW officials registered a case against Krishna and others under sections 318(4) (cheating), 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) and 336(3) (forgery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.“We are verifying the allegations and appropriate legal action will be initiated based on the evidence,” an EOW official said.Investigators are now examining the financial transactions, investment claims and related documents submitted by the complainant as part of the probe.
