Ongole: Auto gang that robbed passenger busted

Ongole (Prakasam District): The Ongole police arrested a gang of thieves, who agrees to take the passengers to their destination in their auto-rickshaw and robs them at knifepoint after stopping the vehicle at deserted locations.

Briefing the media here on Thursday, Ongole DSP U Nagaraju said that at 1.30 am on June 28, Dola Srinivasa Rao of Ulavapadu mandal alighted at Ongole railway station and asked an auto rikshaw for hire to go to bus stand. Just a few minutes after the auto started, two people boarded the auto near Batchala Balaiah Kalyana Mandapam and diverted the auto towards south bypass, which is opposite to the bus stand.

When Srinivasa Rao questioned, the two people put him at knifepoint as the auto went towards Tangutur. At Surareddy Palem flyover, the miscreants beat Srinivasa Rao and took his mobile phone and Rs 7,600 cash and fled.

The victim alerted police patrol vehicle that came there in a few minutes and gave the description of the auto. The police spotted the auto and chased it, but the criminals left the auto at Turpu Naidu Palem and fled into the fields. The police on patrol brought the victim to Ongole Two Town police station and took the complaint. They seized the auto.

After investigation, police arrested Varikuti Elisha, Kona Vijay and Kota Raviteja of Arava Colony in Ongole and recovered money and mobile phone of the victim.

Prakasam district SP Malika Garg and additional SP K Nageswara Rao appreciated DSP Nagaraju, Town II CI Raghavarao, and SI Rajarao and presented commendation certificates to highway patrol staff head constable K Ankaiah, AR constable Y Badaraiah.