Rajahmundry: In continuation to the 80 arrests made in connection to the notorious ‘Call money racket’ busted in Andhra Pradesh, another 19 were arrested from various parts of the district during raids and a total of Rs 23 lac was seized on Friday.
As per reports raids and searches were conducted on unlicensed businessmen who were collecting high interest from the borrowers.
Police seized Rs 23,20,500 cash, 447 signed blank promissory notes, 80 signed blank cheques, 60 blanked signed white papers, a General Power of Attorney and 26 other miscellaneous documents.
‘Call money’ refers to a mode of private lending where loan is made available instantly at borrower’s doorstep but at exorbitant rates of interest, and the lender can demand repayment anytime over a call.
A total of 18 cases have been registered against the 19 accused who were produced in a local court today which remanded them in 14-day police custody.
While the police are anticipating lot more catches in the racket, they have urged the victims of the ‘call money’ to come out and inform the police about such operation.
It may be recalled that the issue rocked the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Thursday leading to adjournment and suspension of two YSR Congress MLAs for two days.
The matter came to fore when a woman from Vijayawada reached the police to register a complaint about money-lender charging exorbitant interest and then forcing her to pay almost six times the borrowed amount.
The police were shocked to unearth the underbelly, which revealed a racket involving threat, extortion, sexually exploitation and the likes.
So far, over 80 call money operators have been arrested across the state, of whom 27 had links allegedly with YSR Congress, six with TDP and three with CPI, according to Information Minister Palle Raghunadha Reddy.
