Four arrested in Rajanna Sircilla for forming extortion gang under ‘Jana Shakti’ label

Hyderabad: Police in Rajanna Sircilla district arrested four individuals who allegedly formed a gang for extortion known as Jana Shakti. They operated under the name of ‘Jana Shakti’, district SP Mahesh B. Bhagwat said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, the SP stated that the accused Tokala Srikanth, Dasari Tirupati, Payyalapu Govardhan, all from Rajanna Sircilla, and Manjari Surender from Jagtial — had conspired to carry out unlawful activities. These included Jana Shakti extortion. Acting on intelligence inputs, police found that the group was using the Jana Shakti name to threaten locals. They collected money through coercion and interfered in land disputes.

The arrests were made during a vehicle inspection near Tangallapalli village limits, where the suspects were found behaving suspiciously. A search led to the recovery of a 9 mm pistol and five live rounds. Police booked a case of Jana Shakti extortion and launched further investigation.

SP Mahesh warned that any attempts to threaten the public or engage in illegal operations like Jana Shakti extortion would be dealt with strictly. Moreover, he added that the department would take strong action against those involved in anti-social activities.

Task Force CI Natesh, Sircilla Rural CI Mogili, Special Branch Inspector Ravi, and SI Upendra Chari were present during the operation.