Call Money Scam: Vijayawada Top Cop Goes On Leave

At a time that the call money scam is rocking Vijayawada, City Police Commissioner Gautham Sawang is going on leave from December 17 for a week.

It is learnt that Sawang, accompanied by his family members, will be visiting Australia.

Rumours are afloat in Vijayawada that Sawang is going on leave due to political pressure caused by influential call money operators. It is said that Sawang is the man behind the exposure of the call money scam, and is reportedly working to bring all the accused to book.

However, it is also learnt that Sawang was granted leave by the government on November 24 itself as he had applied for leave before that date. Therefore, there appears to be no connection between the call money controversy and the Police Commissioner going on leave.

Surendra Babu has been appointed as an in-charge Commissioner during Sawang's leave.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu claimed in a meeting of district Collectors at his office that he would be taking strict action against those involved in the call money scam.

Sources said that the Chandrababu Naidu government had given full freedom to the police in dealing with the call money operators, whoever that may be. With this, the police were conducting raids at many places and not sparing even the ruling Party leaders.

The police are reportedly searching 92 finance companies, and have seized thousands of promissory notes worth crores of rupees, judicial stamp papers, ATM cards, bank passbooks, cheque books, blank cheques signed by borrowers, property documents mortgaged against loans and huge cash.

Following the call of Naidu not to pay a rupee to the organizers of call money operators, the victims of the call money organisers have been lining up at the police stations. Many of them have been getting threatening calls from the lenders saying that nothing would happen even if the Chief Minister intervened in the matter. One of the call money racketeers allegedly rang up a housewife and threatened her of dire consequences if she failed to pay. He also reportedly said that even Naidu couldn't do anything.