Prakasam police seize ₹74 lakh in cash and gold, nab two

Tirupati: Prakasam police took into custody a civil contractor, who stole ₹52.70 lakh cash from a locked house, apart from a person, who took away 460.84 grams of gold worth ₹22 lakh from a jeweller by impersonating a police officer.

According to Prakasam district SP Malika Garg, Ongole I Town police received a complaint from one Venkata Krishnaiah, a resident of Devuducheruvu in Markapur, that the backdoor of his house had been broken and ₹52,70,000 cash taken away from the bedroom cupboard. Based on the report, they registered a complaint and started investigating.

“After analysing fingerprints from the spot, investigators concluded that the offence had been committed by B. Kranti Kiran (33), a civil contractor and nephew of the wife of complainant. He was arrested on Wednesday and police recovered the entire cash from his possession,” the SP said.

Mallika Garg said the Kranti Kiran had started taking up civil contract works in 2016 and had incurred huge debts. “The accused had been facing financial troubles. He learnt that his maternal aunt had received a huge amount as her retirement benefit. When his aunt came to visit his house on December 26, he went to Devuducheruvu, broke into his aunt’s house from the backdoor, and took away the money,” the SP explained.

In another case, Ongole I Town police nabbed a person who duped a jeweller at the Ongole town bus stand on November 21, 2022, at 4 a.m. by impersonating as a police officer. He took away the jeweller’s bag in the name of checking it. The arrested has been identified as Shaik Hussain Basha (34), a native of Guntakal in Anantapur district. Police recovered 351 grams of gold from the accused.

Police are searching for two others, who helped the prime accused in taking away gold from the jeweller.