The Bapatla district police arrested two persons hailing from Rajasthan on charges of creating fake websites of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) and major temples in the State.
As many as 127 complaints have been registered in 18 States against the accused and they had allegedly duped people of around ₹50 lakh, said Bapatla Superintendent of Police Tushar Dudi.
The accused, identified as Paramjeet and Bittu, natives of Sahasan village in Deeg district of Rajasthan, allegedly created fake websites of Tirumala Tirupati Devastanams (TTD), Srisailam and Trimkeshwar temple and cheated devotees, the SP told the media on Friday (August 1, 2025).
The cyber fraudsters also deceived many tourists by creating fake website on APTDC, private resorts and resorted to online frauds by booking rooms.
The accused were wanted in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Delhi, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu and other States, Mr. Tushar said.
Acting on a complaint lodged by the manager of Haritha Resorts of Suryalanka in Bapatla district that a fake website titled ‘Haritha Beach Resort Suryalanka’ has been created and many tourists visiting the beach with fake bookings, the police registered a case.
A team led by Bapatla Rural Circle Inspector Srinivas Rao and Reserve Inspector Srikanth arrested the accused in Rajasthan, and seized mobile phones, SIM cards and other material.
The accused were produced in a court at Kaman in Rajasthan and brought to Andhra Pradesh on a Prisoner Transit Warrant. They were also produced before the court in Bapatla district, the SP said.
The court allowed two-day police custody of the accused and they were being questioned. Further investigation is on, the SP added.
Published – August 02, 2025 09:41 am IST
