Police crack Nallamala dacoity case, arrest 5 accused

Ongole (Prakasam District): Prakasam district SP Malika Garg is all praise for her staff for cracking a dacoity that took place in Nallamala forest within a short period. She informed that the police have arrested five of the seven accused and recovered Rs 2.75 lakh in cash and 425 grams gold from the offenders.

Briefing the media in Ongole on Friday, SP Malika Garg said that Mohibulla Baig, a clerk at RS Jewelers in Vijayawada, visits Nandyal every Saturday to take orders for gold ornaments and collect raw gold and dues from the merchants. On December 24, he was returning Vijayawada from Nandyal along with two clerks of SJS Jewelers and one clerk of Vijaya Bhaskar Jewelers of Narasarao Pet, in a Baleno car that belongs to the owner of SJS Jewelers.

After they crossed Pacherla check post near Diguvametta forest check post at midnight, seven people came in a Swift Dzire car and intercepted the Baleno. The miscreants assaulted the clerks with sticks and stones and took away their car along with 2.1 kg gold and Rs 21 lakh in cash.

Following a complaint from Mohibulla Baig, Giddalur police registered a case on December 25 and took up investigation.

Meanwhile, police teams found the victim's car in the fields of Krishnamsetty Palle and found that the dacoits failed to open the secret lockers in the car. The police recovered 1.650 kg gold and Rs 14 lakh cash safely. The SP took the incident seriously and directed Additional SP (Crimes) SV Sridhar Rao, Markapuram DSP M Kishore Kumar, Disha DSP Pallapuraju, Giddalur CI Md Firoz, Cumbum CI M Rajesh Kumar, Podili CI U Sudhakar Rao, Markapuram CI M Bhimanaik and Ongole rural CI R Rambabu to investigate the case immediately.

The police officers formed three teams with Giddalur SI B Brahmanaidu, Komarole SI V Anjaneyulu and Racharla SI Velaga Mahesh for investigation from all angles. They collected data from toll gates and forest check-posts and investigated the case meticulously using technology.

The team found the vehicle used in the crime spotted at Mahanandi and traced the entry and exit routes of it during the dacoity and apprehended the gang in Narasarao Pet on December 29. The SP informed that they found one person, Pathi Suresh of Narasarao Pet worked at SJS Jewelers for three years and know the gold collection routine of the shop. He informed the same to Kallagunta Kali of Narasarao Pet, who sketched the dacoity with Chemmala Vemareddy of Rompicherla, Kunchala Manohar and Tupakula Venkatesh of Chilakaluri Pet, Mettupalli Srikanth of Piduguralla and Pathan Chand Basha of Ipuru mandals and committed the crime.

The SP said that they have arrested all, except Chemmala Vemareddy and Mettupalli Srikanth, and recovered 445 grams gold and Rs 7 lakh in cash, along with Swift Dzire car and a Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle from them. Search is on for the absconded, she added.

SP Malika Garg appreciated the police team, who participated in cracking the sensational case in a short span and announced rewards to the investigation team.