Service apartments in Hyderabad’s IT corridor have come under increased police scrutiny after multiple properties were allegedly used for gambling and prostitution, with owners now being warned that their properties could be seized if they knowingly facilitate illegal activities.

Three cases, two involving gambling and one prostitution, have recently been registered in Madhapur, the police said.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner M. Ramesh Reddy said the warning was intended to make property owners more cautious about whom they rent their premises to. “We have powers to get the house seized. It is risky for the owners,” he said. “No owner will allow anything illegal. This is to warn them and make them aware of these rules.”

The prostitution case surfaced after Madhapur Police and Kukatpally SOT raided White Castle Service Apartments in Ayyappa Society on September 27. Police alleged that the organiser was renting service apartments on a daily basis, bringing women to the premises and arranging customers.

“Service apartments are under our scanner,” Madhapur Police Inspector K.V. Subba Rao said. Owners have been asked to verify tenants and ascertain why their properties are being rented. If illegal activities are detected, owners could also be booked and the properties seized by the Revenue Department, he said.

Kukatpally Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ritiraj said gambling and cases under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act have recently surfaced at service apartments. In several instances, owners live abroad and leave brokers to manage their properties and tenants. “In some cases, they rent them out knowing that there will be illegal activities,” the DCP said.

Police are now asking owners to establish the purpose of a tenant’s stay and obtain it in writing. “Doing so could also help owners establish that they were unaware of any subsequent misuse of the property,” the officer said. The Commissioner has instructed police to first warn owners and make them aware of the consequences.

K. Reddy, who owns three service apartments across west Hyderabad, said he asks prospective occupants for identity proof, the reason for renting the apartment and the number of people who would be staying.

A security deposit is also collected before check-in and refunded after the property is inspected at check-out, he said.

Cyberabad Cyber Crime police have secured and restored ₹1 crore allegedly lost by a saree retail outlet in a boss impersonation scam, with a 37-year-old man arrested in connection with the fraud.

The accused, Deepak Kumar, a water-plant business operator from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly used a forged WhatsApp profile to impersonate the proprietor of the retail outlet.

On August 4, the outlet’s accountant received a financial request through the forged profile, which he believed belonged to the proprietor. Acting on the request, he transferred ₹1 crore from the victim’s Karur Vysya Bank account to an IndusInd Bank account.

During the investigation, Cyberabad Cyber Crime police found that the money had been routed through a corporate current account in the name of Royal Moda Pvt. Ltd., which was allegedly being used as a mule account to route fraudulent proceeds.

Kumar was traced to Lucknow and arrested on August 8. He was produced before a competent court in Lucknow, which granted transit remand, following which he was brought to Cyberabad and produced before the IX Additional Metropolitan Magistrate, Kukatpally. He was subsequently remanded in judicial custody.

Prompt police action and intervention by the courts helped secure the fraudulently transferred amount. Appropriate orders were passed within a day for restoration of the money, following which the entire ₹1 crore was secured and returned to the victim on August 14, within 10 days of the fraud, police said.

Further analysis through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal revealed links between the accused’s bank account and cybercrime cases registered in other states. Investigation is under way to identify other accused persons, ascertain their roles and trace the complete money trail.

Those who fall victim to financial cyber fraud have been advised to immediately call 1930 or report the incident through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to facilitate efforts to secure the defrauded funds.

A day after the Telangana High Court rejected the pre-arrest bail petition of Bandi Bageerath in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case registered against him, teams from the Cyberabad police on Saturday (May 16, 2026) carried out searches at residences linked to the accused in Hyderabad and Karimnagar as efforts intensified to trace and apprehend him.

According to Kukatpally Zone DCP Ritiraj, five police teams were conducting physical checks at Maitri Residency in Banjara Hills and at the residence of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar in Karimnagar in connection with the ongoing search operation.

Meanwhile, surveillance and technical teams continue to analyse location coordinates, digital trails and other electronic data linked to the accused’s whereabouts.

A large number of police officials along with the security personnel of the Union Minister were seen outside the residence. Police officials said that upon arrest, the accused would be subjected to mandatory medical examination procedures before being produced before a court for remand. The post-arrest formalities will be carried out at the Petbasheerabad police station.

Investigators also indicated that there were discussions around the possibility of the accused surrendering before the police, although no official confirmation had been made till Saturday afternoon.

The accused has so far failed to appear before the Petbasheerabad police despite being issued notices and later seeking two additional days after missing his first scheduled appearance on May 13.

The case was registered on May 8 at the Petbasheerabad police station under provisions of the POCSO Act following a complaint lodged by the mother of a 17-year-old girl, who accused Bageerath of sexually assaulting and emotionally manipulating her daughter over several months.