14 arrested in Bowenpally for stealing underground cables
Hyderabad: Bowenpally police have arrested 14 individuals involved in the theft of underground copper communication cables and recovered property valued at Rs. 10 lakhs.
The recent surge in cable thefts has caused BSNL substantial financial losses and disrupted services, prompting many consumers to switch to other service providers.
The offenders, who disguised themselves as workers for road maintenance, were apprehended based on a complaint filed on August 13, 2024. The arrest followed a complaint by D. Maruthy, SDE (BSNL), regarding a major theft near Centre Point Nala, Bowenpally. This incident led to severe damage to BSNL infrastructure, significant revenue loss, and disruption of services.
Using CCTV footage, Bowenpally Police intercepted the gang at Tadbund X Road, Bowenpally. The suspects were traveling suspiciously in a passenger auto and two two-wheelers. During interrogation, they admitted to the theft of copper cables near Centre Point Nala and other similar offenses. The recovered property includes copper cables worth Rs. 10 lakhs and various tools and vehicles.
The stolen property includes 120 kg of copper cables, one Bajaj Passenger Auto (Br. No. TS-04-UE-5714), one Bajaj Pulsar (Br. No. TS-26-G-3673), one Hero HD Deluxe (Br. No. TS-07-GD-3971), two reflective jackets, two iron digging bars (crowbars), and two hoes.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Vallapu Vinod (27), Bandari Veeranna (30), Vemula Srinu (22), Gunja Ramulu (23), Vemula Rajesh (19), Gogula Vinod (35), Vemula Yesu (35), Vemula Nagaraju (26), Vallapu Vinay (19), Vemula Srinu (35), Vemula Saidulu (30), Gunja Krishna (42), Bandari Praveen (21), and Ontipuli Rambabu (25). They are all residents of Banjara Colony in Hayath Nagar, Hyderabad. Additionally, crime property receivers Kethavath Ramesh Naik (33) and Golliyala Satyanarayana (58) have also been identified. The individuals who are currently absconding are Bandari Ramesh, Makkala Vinod, and Railollu Mahesh.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of S. Rashmi Perumal, DCP North Zone; P. Ashok Kumar, Additional DCP, North Zone; and P. Gopala Krishna Murthy, ACP, Begumpet Division. The team included B. Laxmi Narayana Reddy, SHO of PS Bowenpally; V. Sardar Naik, Additional Inspector of Police, PS Bowenpally; D. Tuljaram, SI of PS Bowenpally; and crime staff members HC-6645 Anil Kumar, PC-6249 Ramesh Murali, PC-3297 Shiva Kumar, PC-30715 M. Rajesh, and HG-1874 Srinivas.
The police urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities to help prevent crime.
