Anantapur: The Anantapur police have solved the mystery over the theft of Rs 46 lakh from near the IDBI Bank here within 12 hours of the incident. The cops recovered the entire cash by arresting four persons.
Police said the person who filed the complaint that a gang snatched his cash bag had himself hatched the plan. The arrested were Pothu Raju of Erranela Kottala in Anantapur and his aides Jabiula of MG Colony and B Venkata Rama Rao of Uma Nagar in Anantapur.
SP Anburajan told the media that Pothu Raju was working as custodian/agent of CMS Info System Ltd for the past three years. The firm was engaged in the collection and depositing of cash from several private finance companies, at the bank, and also of LIC.
On behalf of the company, Pothu Raju was also depositing cash at ATMs of various banks as an agent. He hatched a plan to loot money by using his three friends. As per this plan, the friends “snatched away” the bag from Raju when was going to deposit money at an ATM.
Police explained, “On Tuesday, Pothu Raju went to the LIC office and collected Rs 46.55 lakh to deposit at the IDBI bank. He handed over Rs 23 lakh to his friend B Venkata Rama Rao in Boyageri in Anantapur and offered Rs 3 lakh to him as a gift."
“Later, he went to the IDBI bank, which was on the 3rd floor of the building. Two more friends, Khalil Bhasha and Jabiulla, threw chilli powder into the eyes of Pothu Raju and tied his hands. They fixed plaster to his mouth and fled from the spot with Rs 23 lakh in cash they ‘snatched’ from Pothu Raju.”
Pothu Raju, in his complaint to the police, feigned that he was attacked by a gang and that they took away Rs 46 lakh in cash by throwing chilli powder in his eyes, near the bank.
The one-town police registered a case based on a complaint by Pothu Raju and investigated the matter. During interrogation, Pothu Raju got scared and revealed that he himself hatched the plan.
