Tourist Trips Turned Deceptive: Ex-Journalist's Alleged Fraud Exposed

A former journalist, Raghavendra Rao, was arrested for allegedly swindling over Rs 70 lakh from senior citizens. He deceived them with fake pilgrimage trips to places like Prayagraj and reportedly lost the proceeds in online betting. Police investigations are ongoing with numerous complaints filed against him.

A former journalist now turned suspect, Raghavendra Rao, finds himself behind bars after reportedly cheating senior citizens with bogus Mahakumbh Mela trips. Rao, 35, was taken into custody as law enforcement unearthed Rs 70 lakh worth of fraud by the accused, allegedly squandered in online betting activities.

The unraveling of Rao's alleged crime paths began when duped individuals filed complaints at Govindarajanagar police station, alerting authorities. At least 21 cases against him have surfaced, casting a shadow over his sudden foray into the tourism business. His enticing social media posts offered pilgrimage tours covering Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Prayagraj.

Reports indicate Rao charged Rs 49,000 for a seven-day trip, only to cancel tickets and evade contact after collecting payment. Preliminary investigations showed his method involved initially fulfilling promises to gain trust, but later turned into deceit, with Rao using three betting apps for gambling the ill-gotten money.

(With inputs from agencies.)