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Kidnap Hoax Blows Lid off Cricket Betting Racket; ₹30L Seized
A drunken prank call about a kidnapping led Hyderabad police to a flat in KPHB where they found ₹30 lakh in cash and uncovered a cricket betting racket run through Telegram channels. Three men were arrested and a case registered as investigations continue.
A prank call reporting a kidnapping in a gated community in Hyderabad's KPHB area led police to a flat where they discovered ₹30 lakh in cash and uncovered an alleged cricket betting racket, according to reports from Deccan Chronicle and The New Indian Express.
The Prank Call and Discovery
On August 21, Desineni Sumanth, 25, was drinking with his friends Makati Manoj, 29, and Kanumuri Gowtham Chowdary, 29, at their room in KPHB. During the drinking session, Sumanth sent his girlfriend a message claiming he had been kidnapped. The girlfriend took the message seriously and called the emergency number Dial 112, setting off a chain of events that ended with police at the door.
KPHB police rushed to the location and found the three men there. Their behavior appeared suspicious, prompting a search of the premises. Inside, officers found ₹30 lakh in cash, a tablet, and three mobile phones, both outlets reported.
The New Indian Express described it as a drunken prank that ended with the cash seizure and three arrests, while Deccan Chronicle noted that police initially received the call as a suspected kidnapping and found it to be a prank.
The Betting Racket
During questioning, police learned that the trio was operating Telegram channels that provided cricket predictions and promoted online betting applications, according to both outlets. Police suspected the men earned commissions by promoting betting apps.
The New Indian Express provided additional details, reporting that Sumanth had been involved in online betting about seven years ago, losing nearly ₹3 crore and selling farmland to clear the debt. He later completed a Master's degree in the UK. In 2023, he saw an online advertisement for cricket predictions and created Telegram channels, building an audience of around 60,000 viewers, including 2,000 active participants.
Police said Sumanth promoted betting applications such as FairPlay and ReddyBook through the channels, earning commissions.
The New Indian Express further reported that a man named Shiv offered ₹4.6 crore to buy Sumanth's Telegram channels. Sumanth handed over the login credentials on August 8, but the payment did not arrive. An unidentified person then contacted Sumanth on WhatsApp asking where the money should be delivered, and he provided the address where Manoj and Gowtham lived. Between August 17 and 21, different persons allegedly visited the house on three occasions and handed over ₹30 lakh in instalments.
Both outlets confirmed that a case was registered at KPHB police station. Deccan Chronicle noted that investigators are examining the seized mobile phones and tablet for details regarding the Telegram channels, betting applications, and financial transactions. The New Indian Express reported that the accused were arrested and further investigation is ongoing.
The incident has drawn attention to the ease with which betting operations can flourish through social media platforms, with the prank call inadvertently bringing the alleged racket to light.
How each outlet told it
Deccan Chronicle
Framing: Emphasizes the prank call as a catalyst ('Kidnap Hoax Blows Lid off') and highlights the ₹30L seizure. Leaves out that the call was drunken and made to a girlfriend, and that it involved a larger betting racket with attempted sale of channels. — Neutral/descriptive—'According to the police, they received a call...' and 'Police identified the three occupants.' No strong emotional language.
Facts Included:
Police received a call about a suspected kidnapping at a gated community, found it to be a prank call.
During investigation, police found ₹30 lakh in cash, a tablet, and three mobile phones in the flat.
Identified occupants as Desineni Sumanth, Makati Manoj, and Kanumuri Gowtham Chowdary.
The trio operated Telegram channels providing cricket predictions and promoting online betting applications.
Police suspected the trio earned commissions by promoting betting applications.
The prank call was made by Sumanth to his girlfriend, leading police to the flat.
A case was registered at KPHB police station.
Investigators are examining seized devices for details on Telegram channels, betting apps, and financial transactions.
Also includes separate briefs: man found murdered at Shanigalagutta; engineer held for fake Instagram profile; driver detained for traffic disruption; container overturns causing traffic block; recovery agents booked for harassment; man booked for cheating woman in marriage; private employee loses ₹11.28 lakh to fake trading app; drunk flyer detained at airport.
Framing: Headline not captured; per instruction, headline_angle is not available. — Narrative and slightly dramatic—'It started with a drunken prank and ended with...' and 'setting off a chain of events that the three men probably did not expect.'
Facts Included:
It started with a drunken prank and ended with Rs 30 lakh in cash, three arrests, and a betting racket coming to light.
On August 21, Sumanth, 25, was drinking with friends Makati Manoj, 29, and Kanumuri Gowtham Chowdary, 29, at their room in KPHB.
Sumanth sent his girlfriend a message claiming he had been kidnapped.
The girlfriend called Dial 112, setting off a chain of events.
KPHB police rushed to the location and found the three men; suspicious behavior led to a search.
Inside, they found Rs 30 lakh in cash and other valuables.
During questioning, police learned Sumanth had been involved in online betting about seven years ago, lost nearly Rs 3 crore, and sold farmland to clear debt.
Sumanth later completed a Master's degree in the UK.
In 2023, he saw an online ad for cricket predictions and created Telegram channels, building an audience of ~60,000 viewers and 2,000 active participants.
Police said Sumanth promoted betting apps such as FairPlay and ReddyBook, earning commissions.
A man named Shiv offered Rs 4.6 crore to buy Sumanth's Telegram channels; Sumanth handed over login credentials on August 8.
Payment didn't arrive; an unidentified person contacted Sumanth on WhatsApp and asked where to deliver money, leading to address of Manoj and Gowtham's house.
Between August 17 and 21, different persons visited the house three times and handed over Rs 30 lakh in instalments.
The prank message on August 21 brought police to the doorstep.
KPHB police arrested the accused and registered a case; further investigation is on.
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Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimOn August 21, 2024, Desineni Sumanth, aged 25, was drinking with his friends Makati Manoj, 29, and Kanumuri Gowtham Chowdary, 29, at their room in KPHB, Hyderabad.
ClaimInvestigators are examining the seized mobile phones and tablet for further details regarding the Telegram channels, betting applications, and financial transactions.
ClaimIn 2023, Sumanth saw an online advertisement for cricket predictions and created Telegram channels, building an audience of around 60,000 viewers, including 2,000 active participants.
ClaimAn unidentified person contacted Sumanth on WhatsApp and asked where the money should be delivered; he provided the address where Manoj and Gowtham lived.
ClaimAccording to police, Danaiah had gone missing while working in agricultural fields; his wife Sharadha said she had gone about 250 metres away to cut grass for cattle and found him missing when she returned.
ClaimDanaiah's relatives expressed suspicion on his wife Sharadha, citing disputes between the couple over the past few months; police took her into custody for questioning.
ClaimA software engineer accused of creating a fraudulent Instagram profile of a woman politician and posting abusive and sexually explicit comments on a video featuring her was arrested by Hyderabad cybercrime team on Sunday.
ClaimDuring investigation, police found that the abusive video posted by the accused had originally been uploaded by the 'Pura Local' Instagram channel and subsequently shared on social media platforms.
ClaimInspector K. Satish Reddy said the objectionable content was deliberately posted with malicious intent to defame the complainant and outrage the victim's modesty.
ClaimACP R.G. Siva Maruthi said the accused orchestrated a targeted digital harassment campaign by establishing a fictitious Instagram account to disseminate indecent and defamatory content against specific individuals.
ClaimAccording to Banjara Hills traffic police sub-inspector Govardhan Reddy, the accused Abdul Rashid Pathan parked his heavy vehicle near a showroom at 4.20 pm on August 21, causing severe disruption to traffic.
ClaimBanjara Hills law and order police booked a case against Pathan from Gujarat for misbehaving with a government officer on duty and violation of traffic rules.
ClaimTraffic was disrupted for a stretch of three kilometres for over an hour when a container overturned after hitting a culvert at Palamakula on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru National Highway.
ClaimAccording to Shamshabad Rural police, the container was heading towards the city during the early hours of Sunday when the driver lost control of the steering and hit the culvert.
ClaimPolice booked cases against credit-card recovery agents for harassing and abusing a housewife, her two minor daughters and family members while demanding repayment of dues.
ClaimComplainant Sailendran stated that on August 16 and 17 his wife Chandana, minor daughters and several family members received abusive calls from telecallers of a private bank recovery team.
ClaimSailendran alleged that Srinivasa Reddy, who had nothing to do with the dues, abused his family members, trespassed into his office and threatened female employees Deeksha and Nanda.
ClaimWhen the victim insisted on marriage, Khan refused; on August 15, he blocked her mobile number, went to her workplace, insulted her, physically attacked her, threatened dire consequences and fled.
ClaimA 31-year-old private company employee from Jagadgirigutta lodged a complaint with the Cyberabad cybercrime police alleging that he had lost ₹11.28 lakh to fraudsters after being lured into a fake stock market investment scheme through a WhatsApp group and a fraudulent trading application.
ClaimThe victim joined a WhatsApp group in April, where members claimed to offer trading guidance; a person claiming to be a professor posed as the group leader, while a woman claimed to be an analyst and encouraged the target to invest in the stock market.
ClaimThe accused gained his confidence by guiding him to invest through his demat account and displayed five per cent profits; they then introduced him to block trades, upper-circuit stocks and IPO allotments and asked him to download an application.
ClaimThe victim transferred ₹11,28,700 to bank accounts and UPI IDs provided by the group, and the accused showed a virtual profit of ₹9,34,092 on the application.
ClaimWhen he attempted to withdraw his money, the accused demanded ten per cent commission upfront and disabled withdrawal options; the group members stopped responding, following which he realised he had been cheated.
ClaimAccording to airport officials, the passenger was booked to travel to Varanasi and had reached the airport heavily drunk; he misbehaved with staff while boarding, and the airline refused to board him.