Hyderabad: Three cops held for robbery

Hyderabad: Three constables were arrested for robbing a businesswoman of '8 lakh. The trio and an autorickshaw driver looted the money when the woman, whose identity has been withheld by the police, came to exchange old notes on January 6.

PC Dhan Singh from Rachakonda, V. Pavan, and Vikram Reddy were arrested by Madhapur police following a complaint from the victim. Another suspect, Ravi Teja, an autorikshaw driver, who planned the robbery pretending to be a mediator, was also arrested.

“They have been charged with robbery and were remanded to judicial custody,” said Madhapur inspector R. Kalinga Rao. Police said the victim, a resident of Kondapur, had Rs 10 lakh in denominations of old '1,000 notes. She approached Ravi Teja to exchange the old currency with new currency, and offered him 25 per cent commission.

After the deal was struck, Ravi called the victim to Ameerpet for the currency exchange on January 6. “After reaching Ameerpet, he told her that the party exchanging the currency was waiting for them at Madhapur and drove her to Madhapur via Jubilee Check Post. While passing through Ayyappa Society, a team of cops, (the arrested suspects) intercepted their vehicle. They found Rs 10 lakh in a bag in the car. They threatened her with criminal prosecution for carrying the cash and took away Rs 8 lakh,” said a police official. The arrested cops staged the vehicle check following the tip off from Ravi, who also got a cut of the booty.