Two girls — both in their early 20s and studying MBA and BBM courses respectively, were arrested on Wednesday on the charge of stealing a bag containing Rs.20 lakh from the vehicle of a cashier in an aqua feeds company at Enikepadu and uncle of one of them.
Disclosing details of the case to the media, Additional DCP (crimes) G. Ramakoteswara Rao said that the girls were friends.
On February 6, they hatched a plan to rob the cashier knowing fully well that he regularly carried huge amounts with him as part of his duty.
As per the plan, the accused, on February 7, reached Montessori College, where one of the girl called him and asked him to pick her up. He picked her up in his vehicle and the other one followed them in a hired car.
They tried to steal the money in vain at Nirmala Convent and at Lenin Centre. They, however, managed to lay their hands on the cash bag when they were proceeding on the Museum Road.
The cashier stopped the car at a restaurant to buy some food parcel. Sensing it as the right time, one of the girl asked her car driver to bring the bag of books from the other one. Not knowing that the bag contained cash, the driver complied.
On his return, the cashier found the bag missing, but did not suspect his relative as she was seated in the vehicle.
He immediately lodged a complaint with the Suryaraopet police. After collecting the cash bag, the girl paid Rs. 2 lakh to an Internet centre owner from Vuyyuru towards repayment of debt.
She gave him Rs. 3 lakh more and requested him to keep the money in his safe custody. Prior to that, the girl hid the cash bag in the bushes near American Hospital.
The police, who were on a hunt for the girls, arrested them on Wednesday near Montessori College and recovered from them Rs.20.22 lakh .