The East Godavari district police on Friday arrested Perabattula Avinash Dev Chandra on the charges of cheating, extortion, wrongful confinement and produced him before the Magistrate here. Avinash, who claimed himself as the chairman of the International Human Rights Organisation and resorted to extortions, surrendered at the Director-General of Police office in Hyderabad on Thursday and the personnel from the DGP’s office escorted him to Kakinada.
According to the police, Avinash had set up an office in Rajahmundry and arranged private security for himself. His modus-operandi was to visit various institutions and resort to extortions by claiming violation of human rights by the institutions. During such activities, he used to claim to be a close associate of many politicians including Home Minister N. Chinna Rajappa to threaten people.
Superintendent of Police M. Ravi Prakash said that cases were registered against Avinash following complaints lodged by Israel, principal of the Lutheran High School in Peddapuram, and a woman from the district who did not want her details to be disclosed.
“The complainants stated that Avinash had collected money from them in the name of International Human Rights Organisation. He visited the school a few months ago and threatened the management to register cases for violation of human rights and collected Rs. 9 lakh from the woman promising her job,” Mr. Ravi Prakash said and charged Avinash with misusing national flag and the emblem of the AP.
“We have to watch the video footage that was aired on TV channels. We have found that it was shot in Vizag. If there are any other victims of Avinash, they can lodge complaints,” the SP said. The police registered cases under Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing property), 170 (personating a public servant) of the IPC so far.
