Priest Arrested at Hyderabad Airport for Allegedly Cheating Techie of Rs 20 Lakh

Bachupally police apprehended a priest at the Hyderabad airport on June 25 for allegedly cheating a software employee of Rs 20 lakh. The accused, identified as Chamarthi Rama Latcha Rao, who also goes by the alias Rama Sarma, was intercepted by immigration officials upon his return from the United States.

The arrest follows a cheating case registered against Rama Sarma in April 2025. The case was filed based on a formal complaint lodged by Mandanapu Naveen Kumar Chowdary, a software employee who had known the priest for several months.

According to the police, Rama Sarma had represented himself as a business partner in a Hyderabad-based firm named Trivedi Chemical Solutions LLP. He also claimed to hold directorships in several other companies. To convince the victim, the accused introduced his wife, Chamarthi Prameela Rani, and an associate, Manchikanti Venkata Raghavendra Vara Prasad, as directors in various firms.

During the years 2023 and 2024, Rama Sarma allegedly approached Chowdary seeking financial assistance. He claimed that the funds were required to expand his business operations and promised to repay the Rs 20 lakh within a period of three months. However, despite multiple assurances, the money was never returned to the complainant.

After the cheating case was officially registered in April 2025, Rama Sarma reportedly fled the country and traveled to the United States. In response to his departure, the Bachupally police issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) to prevent him from evading the law.

On June 25, when Rama Sarma landed back at the Hyderabad airport, immigration officials flagged his details due to the active LOC. He was immediately intercepted at the airport and handed over to the Bachupally police, halting his evasion of the cheating case.