Job promises, fake letters, one arrest

Police arrested Korla Kalyan Kumar, described in reports as Bhadrachalam MLA Tellam Venkat Rao’s personal assistant, in a cheating case arising from alleged job promises to unemployed people. Bhadrachalam police registered the case after Rayala Srinu alleged that Kalyan took Rs 9.95 lakh from his family for a permanent job for his son at Bhadradri Thermal Power Station near Manuguru, then issued what was allegedly a fake joining letter. The job did not arrive; the letter apparently did more work.

According to Bhadrachalam DSP M. Arun Kumar, police said 54 people were allegedly cheated of around Rs 8 crore through promises of jobs at BTPS and ITC Sarapaka. Police also said Kalyan told investigators he had lost the money through online cricket betting. Those figures and the alleged confession remain reported police claims; no FIR, remand order, victim list or financial record was publicly available in the material reviewed. Earlier reports put the alleged total between Rs 8 crore and around Rs 10 crore.

BRS leaders have demanded an inquiry into whether the MLA knew about the alleged collections. Congress sarpanch Punem Krishna said the MLA had no connection to Kalyan’s actions. The MLA was reported to have said police teams were tracing Kalyan and that he had asked officials to surrender him. The arrest is recorded; the political answers are still being passed around like another appointment letter.