Two aspiring cricketers were allegedly cheated of over ₹20 lakh after being lured with promises of securing a place in the prestigious Ranji Trophy. The Sonegaon Police have registered a fraud case against a coach associated with a sports academy.The accused, identified as Qazi Zeeshan Ahmed, a resident of Anant Nagar and originally from Uttar Pradesh, has been booked following a complaint by Kollu Veera Venkata Phanindra Kumar (27), a resident of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
According to police, the sequence began in November 2023 when Kollu came across Qazi’s cricket video on Instagram and contacted him for coaching details. In June 2023, Kollu travelled to Nagpur and met Qazi at DY Patil Sports Academy in MIHAN, where the accused allegedly assured him of arranging a place in a Ranji Trophy team from another state.In October 2023, Qazi reportedly visited Vijayawada and met Kollu’s family, claiming that ₹14 lakh would be required to secure the opportunity. Around the same time, he also approached Kollu’s friend, Rajakuntla Munindra (24) from Nandyal, with a similar proposal.Believing his assurances, both youths transferred money in multiple instalments, depositing a total of ₹20,02,000 into Qazi’s bank account.
Despite repeated follow-ups, neither received any opportunity to play.When they attempted to contact Qazi, he became unresponsive. Kollu later visited Nagpur, only to find that the accused had left the city. Police suspect he is currently in Varanasi.After realising they had been duped, Kollu approached the Sonegaon Police, who have registered a case of fraud and launched a search operation to trace the accused.
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