In a significant breakthrough, Tirupati police arrested three notorious interstate fraudsters who had been stealing from single women by posing as civic staff. The accused, identified as A Krishna (34), his younger brothers A Sharath (24) and H Venugopal, all residents of Shimoga district in Karnataka, along with three other accomplices, Ravi, Ganesh, and Prashanth, were arrested following a complaint by an elderly woman.
According to Tirupati Superintendent of Police (SP), V Harshavardhan Raju, the gang initially started with petty crimes such as lifting bags from buses and house break-ins to fund their vices. However, recently, they shifted their focus to single women. Posing as municipal staff conducting inspections of water connections and drainage pipes, they gained access to their victims’ homes and then decamped with valuables.
On December 20, 2024, the gang targeted an elderly woman, Polina Dhanamma, in the Kesavayanagunta locality of Tirupati, stealing her gold ornaments. Acting upon her complaint, the police were able to track down and arrest the three accused on Thursday. Authorities recovered 280 grams of gold jewellery, a car, and two motorcycles from their possession.
The police are continuing their investigation into the remaining accomplices and their criminal activities.
