Chittoor police bust interstate robbery Gang
Chittoor : A four-member interstate gang responsible for a string of chain snatchings, vehicle thefts, robberies and house break-ins has been arrested by the Puthalapattu police in Chittoor district. Authorities have recovered 53 grams of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.5 lakh, a car valued at Rs 5 lakh and two motorcycles during the operation.
The gang was led by Siva Kumar (35), who has over 40 criminal cases against him across AP, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with crimes reported in areas like Mysur, Doddaballapur, Hoskote, and Kolar. The group primarily targeted women and relied on stolen vehicles to execute their crimes.
The arrests followed a spike in chain-snatching incidents reported on October 26, 2024, in Puthalapattu and Irala mandals. Under the guidance of Chittoor SP VN Manikanta Chandolu, special police teams led by Sub-Division DSP T Sainath tracked the gang across three states. The suspects were apprehended at Jagamarla cross on the Bengaluru-Tirupati highway.
One of the incidents involved a woman on the Bengaluru-Tirupati highway service road at Kichennagaripalli, who was robbed of a 64-gram gold chain worth Rs 3.5 lakh. Another woman near Thenepalli on the Chittoor-Kadapa NH 40 road fell victim during an attempted chain-snatching and later succumbed to her injuries. At Gundlapalli bus stop in Irala, a woman waiting for a bus was robbed of a 33-gram gold chain.
“The gang utilized stolen cars and high-speed motorcycles, including KTM Dukes, to commit their crimes. Siva Kumar, the mastermind, recruited young individuals to carry out these offences. We have retrieved the stolen items, which will be returned to the victims”, SP Manikanta said.
The arrested individuals include Syed Rehan (19), linked to 10 cases; a 16-year-old juvenile also involved in 10 cases; Kumar (19), implicated in six cases; and Chandra Shekhar (40), connected to four cases. All are residents of Karnataka. The SP commended the police teams for their swift and efficient handling of the case.