Hyderabad: An accused in a cheating case allegedly escaped from the Banjara Hills police station. The accused, Nasir Rajput, is facing charges of cheating nearly 20 unemployed youths, a bank employee and a furniture shop owner in Nampally. Police tracked him to Ranchi in Jharkhand and a team brought him back from Ranchi on Sunday night and handed him over at the police station. Rajput, who went out to answer nature's call, escaped. The victims said the cops helped him escape after sharing the money.

Nasir Rajput is a native of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Three months ago, he shifted to Hyderabad along with family and rented a flat. He opened a garment firm in Banjara Hills and gave an advertisement in local newspapers for people to work in the firm and collected nearly Rs 20,000 from 20 candidates as security deposit.

He also made the candidates believe that he is a close friend of Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali and that he would inaugurate their office in Banjara Hills. The candidates believed when he showed them his photographs with the Deputy CM. Similarly he cheated a furniture dealer at Nampally and bought furniture for his house. He also cheated an ICICI Bank employee and received nearly Rs 15 lakh through fund transfer and purchased a luxury car on loan.

When, pressure from these people increased, he collected the money, jewellery and fled with the car. Police traced the car to Ranchi using GPS Sources said the unemployed youths who were cheated collected money and purchased flight tickets for the police team which went to Ranchi to pick up the accused.

“There was no funding by the victims. We are investigating the issue and will soon nab the accused. There will be strict action against persons responsible for the escape,” said a senior police official.