4 held for posing as hijras, demanding Rs 5,000 from BMW owner in Hyderabad

Four men were arrested by Jubilee Hills police after allegedly posing as transgender persons and forcibly demanding Rs 5,000 from a BMW owner in Hyderabad, with investigators examining footage from around 500 CCTV cameras over nearly a month to trace them.

The incident took place on August 21 near True Black Coffee on Road No. 45 in Jubilee Hills. According to police, the four men intercepted the BMW as its owner was leaving the area and allegedly demanded money from him.

A video of the incident was later posted on social media, following which police registered an extortion case against unidentified persons.

Jubilee Hills police, assisted by the West Zone Task Force, examined CCTV footage from the area and traced the suspects’ movements from Jubilee Hills to Boduppal. The four were subsequently detained in Boduppal.

The accused were identified as Yadagiri, 44, Satyanarayana, 41, K Ramesh, 40, and S Ramesh, 42. All four are residents of Boduppal, police said.

Police alleged that the men had been dressing as transgender persons and stopping motorists to demand money. They were also accused of making similar demands at housewarming ceremonies and newly opened shops.

The case came amid police efforts to curb complaints involving forced money collection. In the first week of September, Telangana Director General of Police C V Anand had directed police commissioners to take steps against extortion incidents allegedly involving people posing as members of the transgender community.

Police said the investigation is continuing to establish whether the accused were involved in other similar incidents.

The four men were arrested and sent to judicial custody, according to police.