10-member gang held, 600 gms jewellery, 15.79L seized

Visakhapatnam: The city police busted a dacoity gang and arrested 10 out of 15 members and recovered Rs 15.79 lakh in cash and 600 grams of ornaments and one country made gun from their possession.

Addressing media here on Monday, City Police Commissioner Mahesh Chandra Laddha said Gogada Govinda Rao of Maddilapalem area was working as a salesman in GRT Jewellery and Hira Panna Jewellers in the city.

He borrowed money from various people and lost over Rs 5.5 lakh in IPL betting. He hatched a plan along with his friends and looted Rs 41.98 lakh in cash and 1,200 grams of jewellery from a businessman in the city.

Govinda Rao came to know that one jewellery businessman J Ramesh Babu from Coimbatore visits Vizag twice in a month to collect money from businessmen and supply ornaments to them through Ramesh Babu’s driver V Suresh.  

The accused and his gang made two attempts to rob Ramesh Babu when he was going to railway station to catch a train to Tamil Nadu but in vain. Later, he along with S Hari Babu hired six persons from Kharagpur, the SP said.

On September 23, six persons of gang on three bikes followed the businessman Ramesh Babu when he along with his driver was on the way to Railway Station in Vizag on a bike to board Chennai bound Coramandel Express.

They sprinkled chilly power into the eyes of the jeweller and threatened him with firearm and took away Rs 41.98 lakh in cash and 1,200 gms of jewellery. Based on information of police constable Ramesh Reddy, the CCS police and Two-Town police nabbed 10 of 15-member gang and recovered some of the stolen property, Laddha added.

The arrested were identified as Gogada Govinda Rao, the mastermind behind the dacoity, K Sai Kiran, S Hari Babu alias Pikri, M Tarakeswara Rao, M Murali Krishna, P Bhaskar, KD Reddy, K Sowmith, SHD Rao and T Lokesh