One mistake ends OLX conman’s run from police

Vijayawada: Bheemudu Ajith Kumar stayed ahead of police teams for months, moving across multiple states using disguises, frequent travel and carefully planned online frauds. His run ended in Tamil Nadu after investigators traced a trail of clues in an alleged ₹11 lakh OLX scam.Ajith, accused in multiple online cheating cases, had earlier escaped from Repalle sub-jail and later from Guntur Government General Hospital. Police said he then moved to Tamil Nadu, adopting elaborate methods to evade arrest.Investigators said he frequently changed his appearance, including shaving his head to avoid identification. He shifted residences often, used multiple SIM cards and avoided staying in one place for long.

During the day, he travelled in rented vehicles across cities; at night, he checked into lodges after being dropped a few kilometres away and covering the remaining distance using local transport.Police said his trail surfaced after he allegedly duped a buyer into transferring ₹11 lakh for a car listed on OLX. The money was routed to a gold shop owner’s account in Tirupur. Ajith had reportedly obtained the account details by claiming he intended to purchase gold in bulk and would transfer the payment directly.

Following a complaint, investigators tracked the transaction to the gold shop. CCTV footage, vehicle details and inputs from drivers who had transported him helped police reconstruct his movements. Alerts with his photographs were circulated across police stations.Officials said Ajith often used drivers’ mobile phones to access online platforms and changed vehicles soon after receiving money from victims. Despite efforts to stay off the radar, police tracked him down and arrested him in Tamil Nadu, ending a chase that spanned multiple states.