Anantapur: Locals from many villages poured out onto the streets to nab a person who had stolen money from a government official meant for old-age pensions in Yellanur mandal in the district on Friday.
At least 1,000 people participated in the search for the robber who stole a bag containing Rs 16 lakh from a gram panchayat secretary.
Tadipathri DSP A. Srinivasulu said Ms Nagalakshmamma, a village secretary from Thimmampalli in Yellanur mandal and native of Narpala mandal headquarters, withdrew Rs 16 lakh from the Yellanur branch of the Andhra Bank for distribution of pensions for the aged, widows, physically challenged and other sections in Thimmampalli gram panchayat on Thursday.
She went to her native place and stayed there overnight. She proceeded to Thimmampalli from Narpala on Friday morning along with the money.
The police said one Kullayappa, a labourer of Vasapuram, along with autorikshaw drivers, Srinivasulu, Sudhakar and Goddu-marri Anjaneyulu got to know that she was carrying the cash and planned to rob her.
When Ms Nagalakshmamma got down from an RTC bus at Kondapuram, driver Srinivasulu offered to drop her at Thimmampalli in his autorickshaw. Kullayappa also got into the vehicle. When the autorickshaw reached near Araveedu, Kullayappa threatened the official with a knife, snatched the bag of cash and escaped, police said.
Ms Nagalakshmamma immediately informed the police of the incident. DSP Srinivasulu alerted people in the nearby villages to look for the robbers and blocked the roads leading outside the area to trap the thieves. About 1,000 people started spreading out to the surrounding areas to search for the robbers.
Finally, the villagers of Chilamakur caught Kullaya-ppa along with the cash and handed him over to police, the DSP said.
