A man, who robbed a housewife of her gold pusthula thadu and other gold and silver ornaments after drugging her, was arrested by the Pendurthy Police.
Giving details to mediapersons here on Friday, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police S. Varada Raju said the accused, K. Laxmana Naidu (40) of Vandava of Veeraghattam mandal in Srikakulam district, had worked in the Indian Army in the past. He was removed from service for colluding with one B. Appa Rao of Butchayyapeta and cheating gullible youths to the tune of Rs.55 lakh by promising to secure jobs for them in the Army.
He started a private vacuum cleaner business and after losing money in it, he allegedly killed an executive of the firm. He was arrested along with two others by the Srikakulam Rural Police in this regard. He secured a bail in the case and ran away to Eluru. He married a woman by pretending that he was an innocent orphan. He stole Rs.1.5 lakh from a hotel in Eluru, where he had joined as a lodge boy. The accused was involved in 16 cases in the past.
Mr. Varada Raju said on August 20, the victim came from Anakapalle and was waiting at NAD Kotha Road junction to go to Jagadamba junction to purchase sarees. RTC buses were off the roads and autos were also not running properly in view of the Seemandhra bandh.
The accused approached her on a motorcycle and offered her a lift. The woman, being a stranger to the city, readily agreed. On coming to know that the woman had never been to Simhachalam temple, the accused offered to take her for darshan. He first took her to a function hall on the way and hired a room on the pretext that she could ‘fresh up’ before going for darshan.
He introduced the woman to the receptionist as his wife. On going into the room, he offered her a soft drink mixed with a sedative. The woman fell asleep and the accused robbed her gold pusthula thadu weighing 2.5 tolas, black beads chain of equal weight, a gold chain, ear studs, a gold ring and silver anklets and fled.
Later, the function hall employees found the woman lying unconscious and alerted the police. The accused was arrested at CMR junction on Friday. The ADCP cautioned the general public, particularly women, against believing strangers and consuming the food and drinks offered by them.
He commended Pendurthy Inspector S. Adam, SI R.E. Ch. Prasad and police constables T. Maheswara Rao, K. Ganga Raju and Ch. Ramana for their efforts in the arrest of the accused.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) C.M. Naidu was present.
