YSRC Leader Among Seven Held For Treasure Hunt
Several others, including former police officer Vinod Kumar of Chowdepalle, JCB owner Santosh Reddy, and two priests from Chittoor, are absconding: Police
TIRUPATI: A YSRC leader was among seven persons arrested for conducting an illegal treasure hunt near Veerappalle village in Peddapanjani mandal on Saturday night. The arrests were made during a raid following a tip-off received by the Chittoor district police.
Police said Yerraballi Srinivasulu (50), a former MPTC member and currently YSRC Chittoor district secretary from Kelavathi village, along with his brother Y Saravanan (43) from Chennai, led the operation to search for hidden treasure. Acting on the advice of a priest named Ambika Swamy from Punganur, the group performed rituals near Veerappalle to identify a supposed treasure site.
The accused later contacted a former police officer, identified as Vinod Kumar, and arranged a JCB, a metal scanner, and other equipment for excavation. Acting on credible information, Palamaneru Urban Inspector Murali Mohan and his team raided the site, detained seven persons, and seized a JCB, a car, and four motorcycles.
Those arrested have been identified as Y Srinivasulu, Y Saravanan, B Srinivasulu (47), B Prakash (47), and C Srinivasa Reddy (34) of Punganur mandal, Kanipakam Ramesh (30) of Tavanampalle and J Sunil (33) of Kalikiri mandal.
Police said several others, including former police officer Vinod Kumar of Chowdepalle, JCB owner Santosh Reddy, and two priests from Chittoor, are absconding. A case has been registered, and search operations are underway.