PhD holder Seetaiah arrested in Pune cyber scam
HYDERABAD: Kilari Seetaiah, a doctorate holder who once aspired to join the civil services, was arrested in Pune on Tuesday for allegedly cheating a university by impersonating an IIT Bombay professor.
Seetaiah, a native of Nandigama in Andhra Pradesh, completed his PhD in Electronics and Telecommunications from a London university. He worked briefly as a professor in Hyderabad before attempting the civil services examination. Though he reached the interview stage in his first attempt, he was not selected. Police said the rejection pushed him into depression, leading to personal and professional setbacks, including a divorce.
Coaching stints and betting addiction
After quitting his job, Seetaiah worked as a visiting faculty member at several civil services coaching centres in Hyderabad and Cyberabad. He later became addicted to online gaming and betting. To fund his gambling, he allegedly collected data from job portals and duped aspirants with fake employment offers. He sent forged appointment letters and even conducted telephonic interviews, police said.
Since 2023, cybercrime police in Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Gachibowli police station have booked several cases against him. Despite earlier jail time, Seetaiah allegedly continued his fraudulent activities.
₹2.4 crore fraud in Pune
In July, Seetaiah allegedly called the Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University, introducing himself as a professor from IIT Bombay. Claiming to represent a space research project with artificial intelligence funding, he promised ₹28 crore in grants.
Believing him, university officials transferred ₹2.4 crore in instalments between July 25 and August 7. When they realised the fraud, they lodged a complaint with Pune Cyber Crime police earlier this month.
Police traced Seetaiah to Yapral, Hyderabad, and arrested him. He was produced before a Pune court, which remanded him in police custody until Sunday. Investigators said he also attempted to cheat two other universities in Maharashtra.
