Andhra Pradesh: Gang Posing as Police Officers Arrested

Vijayawada: Bapatla district police arrested seven members of an interstate gang who defrauded a woman of ₹6.5 lakh by posing as police officers in a fake gold sale scheme.

The victim, Mogilishetti Sridevi from Panduru village in East Godavari district, was lured by gang members who claimed they needed to sell mortgaged gold at low prices due to financial difficulties.

The accused, belonging to the notorious Stuartpuram second gang, had been deceiving her for three months. On January 6, Sridevi traveled to Stuartpuram village with ₹6.5 lakh in cash.

In a pre-planned operation, ten accused persons dressed in police uniforms confronted her, alleging she was attempting to purchase stolen gold. They threatened her and snatched the cash before fleeing. Acting on a tip-off, Sub-Inspector P. Bhagyaraj and his team conducted a raid on Poleramma Temple Road in Thotavaripalem, Chirala Mandal, on January 11.

The seven accused in the gold scam case are Lakshmi alias Peerigi Kalyani (A1), Angadi Prasanna Kumari alias Ammulu (A2), Angadi Chandrababu (A3), Chinnabotula Bhavani Shankar alias Sunny (A6), Madigani Ramachandra Kumar alias Pedda Pappu (A7), Angadi Kaveri alias Deepti (A8), and Angadi Lohith alias Deepu (A9).

Three other accused, Chitti Babu alias Guravaiah, Kondeti Harikrishna, and Peeriga Sandeep alias Nani, remain at large, and police stated they will be apprehended soon.