In a shocking incident, B. Chalapati, a photographer from Bengaluru, was arrested by the Mirchowk Police for allegedly stealing high-end camera equipment worth Rs9 lakh from a rental agency in Hyderabad. The arrest came after the accused had rented the equipment from the agency under false pretenses and failed to return it.
According to Sneha Mehra, DCP of Hyderabad South Zone, Chalapati contacted a camera rental agency in Hyderabad on July 25, posing as Manoj, a potential client. He requested to rent a DSLR camera with a lens for a photoshoot, offering a rental fee of Rs9,000 for the day.
When the rental agency provided him with the equipment, Rakesh, an agency representative, accompanied Chalapati to various prominent locations across the city, including Tank Bund, Jala Vihar, Sanjeevaiah Park, Birla Science Museum, and Salarjung Museum.
However, after the photoshoot, Chalapati failed to return the camera and lens. The agency then lodged a complaint with the police, leading to an investigation that eventually led to Chalapati’s arrest.
The Mirchowk Police managed to trace Chalapati, and he was taken into custody for theft. The stolen camera equipment has been recovered, and further investigations are underway to determine if Chalapati was involved in any previous scams or criminal activities related to photography rentals.
This case serves as a reminder of the growing risk of fraud in the rental business and highlights the need for rental companies to take extra precautions when lending high-value equipment.