Police arrested four persons on Thursday for reportedly befriending a person through an app and robbing him by inviting him to a secluded place.

According to Nandyal Assistant Superintendent of Police Susmitha, the incident took place on August 15 and was reported to the police two days later. The accused, B. Pavan Kumar, G. Venkata Naga Charan, P. Venkata Umakanth, and B. Hemanth became acquainted with the victim through an app and invited him to the Golden Function Hall on Kothapalli Road, claiming that there was a function and that friends were present there.

They allegedly took the complainant near Nandyal Public School on Nandyal-Kothapalli road, threatened him with knives, assaulted him with iron rods, snatched ₹7,200 in cash and a mobile phone, and fled the scene. Immediately after receiving the complaint, special teams were formed to conduct search operations and the accused were arrested near Nandamuri Nagar.

According to police reports, others were also lured through the app and victimised, but no formal complaints have been lodged regarding these instances. If there are any victims of the app, appropriate legal action will be taken upon the filing of formal complaints, the ASP said.

Police recovered knives, iron rods, mobile phones, cash, and a two-wheeler from the accused.

Published - August 20, 2026 06:48 pm IST