Choutuppal police arrest suspect in theft case; seize gold worth over Rs. 1.26 crore
Choutuppal: The sleuths of the Choutuppal Police Station, under the Yadadri Bhuvanagiri Zone of the Rachakonda Commissionerate, arrested a suspect at Adhaya Hotel on NH-65, Malkapur, Choutuppal.
During the arrest, police seized 1,832 grams of gold ornaments valued at ₹1,26,88,432. The seized items include 17 haram chains and necklaces (weighing 1,000 grams) and 35 black bead chains (weighing 832 grams).
The arrested individual has been identified as Sony Thakur, a 22-year-old mason and agriculture worker from Bhuriyakurva Village, Dharmapuri Mandal, Dhar District, Madhya Pradesh. The accused, Ali Khan and Aslam, are still absconding.
According to the police, Kunal Kotari, a 35-year-old sales manager at AD Jewelleries, Aram Mall, Mumbai, lodged a complaint on July 28, 2024.
Kunal Kotari reported that on July 26, 2024, he assigned his employee, Purohith Bharath Kumar, with gold ornaments for delivery to the AD Jewelleries branch in Andhra Pradesh. The shipment, comprising various pieces of black beads and necklaces totaling approximately 2.1 kilograms, was meant to be transported via Orange Travels bus (registration number AP-02-A-9687).
However, on July 27, 2024, when Bharath Kumar stopped near Dharmojigudem on NH-65 for tea, he discovered that the bag containing the gold ornaments was missing upon returning to the bus.
After receiving the complaint, the police formed four teams and conducted searches across Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. The investigation revealed that the suspects, who were aware of gold transportation patterns, specifically targeted Orange Travels buses. They would steal the bags during bus stops and escape using vehicles with fake number plates.
The arrest of Sony Thakur was made under the supervision of M. Sudheer Babu, Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda; M. Rajesh Chandra, DCP Bhongir Zone; CH. Laxminarayana, Additional DCP Bhongir Zone; P. Madhusudhan Reddy, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Choutuppal Division; Ravi Kiran Reddy, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Bhongir Division; V. Ashok Reddy, Inspector of Police, Choutuppal; Md. Masiuddin, Additional Inspector of Police, Choutuppal; K. Yadagiri, SIP of Police, Choutuppal; Taqiuddin, SIP, Thurkapally Police Station; and G. Srinivas, HC, Bommalaramaram Police Station, along with the staff of the Choutuppal team.
