Call Money was Prostitution Ring Operated by Politicians

Vijayawada: They generously lend money to the needy and charge exorbitant interest rates. It is when the borrower fails to pay the interest amount that the trouble starts. Several leaders and MLAs of the ruling Telugu Desam Party had lent money to people in this way and when the borrowers failed to repay, they were forced into flesh trade.

The term `call money scam’ derived from money generated by giving loans to people and push them into prostitution when they fail to repay. The perpetrators of the scam, which has been going on for the past several years, befriended several TDP leaders and sought protection from the ruling party.
The men, who run the operation, formed a syndicate headed by Yelamanchili Ramu. They gather at the latter's office in Pantakaluva road in Vijayawada city every evening. The syndicate forces the women into prostitution by drugging them and taking photos and videos of them in compromising situations. On occasions when the women protest, they are shown these pictures and videos. Women, housewives and students have become victims of this sex racket.
Women who have been subdued this way are supplied to people from whom the syndicate wants to get things done. The syndicate has spread its tentacles in several districts from Srikakulam to Chittoor. Men who run the syndicate also force the women and other borrowers to bring women from their neighbourhood. Those who fail to comply are generally thrashed, threatened and exposed to public through photographs and videos.
On some occasions, the victims are also forced to sponsor foreign trips of the syndicate members such as TDP leader Venegalla Srikanth and Bodey Prasad (TDP MLA from Penamuluru).
Political Pressure: The Vijayawada police stumbled up on the case during a routine investigation and when they started digging deeper, they were pressurised to weaken the case and go slow on TDP leaders involved in it.
However, senior police officials aware of the syndicate activities say that they are not sparing anyone. The activities of the syndicate are blood cuddling to say the least, a police officer said. Police have so far filed cases against Yellamanchili Ramu alias Ramachandra Murthy, Bhavani Shankar, electricity department engineer Satyanand, TDP leader Venegalla Srikant, Pendyala Srikant and D Rajesh.
Yelamanchili Ramu's wife (name withheld) has filed a petition stating that her husband is innocent and senior party leaders have foisted false charges against him and whisked him away, she stated in her petition. However, the police claim that Ramu is not in their custody and they would have produced him before the court if they had arrested him.
Sources indicate that Ramu knows about three MLAs and two MLCs who were also part of this scam and they fear that he might reveal their names to the police and, therefore, trying to free him using his wife so that they are not implicated.
Commissioner's Appeal: Vijayawada police commissioner Gautam Sawang has appealed to the people especially women to come forward with details of the syndicate members. He also assured them that their identity will be kept confidential. YSRCP spokesperson Vasireddy Padma alleged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had given enough signals to the investigating officials to give a clean chit to the party cadre involved in the scam.