Four inter-dist offenders held

Vijayawada: The city crime branch police busted a four-member inter-district criminal gang and recovered gold ornaments and other valuables worth Rs 18 lakh from the accused. The gang was produced before the media at the office of the Commissioner of Police D Gowtham Sawang here on Thursday.

The gang in a house breaking incident robbed valuables from a residence behind Rythu bazar at Patamata on January 14. The police on a tip-off, nabbed the gang. Commissioner of Police produced the gang before the media on Thursday and disclosed the details of the burglary.

Chintala Purushottam alias Akhil alias Achyut (23), Mahati Bala Durga Prakash alias Balu, a resident of Chitti Nagar, Shaik Jani Basha alias Jani of Chitti Nagar and Naragani Harish alias Bujji of Gudivada, Krishna district, robbed gold jewellery weighing 558 grams, silver articles weighing 2.4 kg, one lap top, video camera and bike from the residence.

All these gang members were arrested earlier in various cases and imprisoned in Vizag. The gang members in the age group of 20 to 23 gradually became good friends in Vizag and hatched a plan to rob a house in Patamata in Vijayawada and successfully executed the plan on January 14 when the inmates were not present at home.

The police registered a case and collected clues. Based on the clues and with the help of sophisticated advanced technology, the four members gang was arrested in two weeks. Among the four Purushottam alias Akhil (23) of Vizag was involved in many chain snatching, burglaries, house breaking, vehicle lifting and a rape case. Gowtham Sawang said 48 cases were registered in Vizag, Vizianagaram district against the accused.

Shaik Jani Basha was involved in nine criminal cases in Vijayawada and Vizag. He was accused in chain snatching cases, vehicle lifting and other robbery cases.Bala Durga Prasad alias Balu was indulged in dacoity, chain snatching, attempt to murder case, vehicle lifting and robbery cases. He was accused in chain snatching cases in Tenali, Mangalagiri and other areas in Guntur district.

Naragani Harish was accused in chain snatching cases and other offences in Gudivada, Vizag, Srikakulam, Vijayawada, Tenali and other places. The gang was produced in the court. Joint Commissioner of Police Kanti Rana, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Shireen Begum was present at the media conference.