Inter-State Chain-Snatching Gang Busted In Chittoor, 2 Arrested

TIRUPATI: Chittoor police arrested two persons allegedly involved in an inter-state chain-snatching gang and recovered 64 grams of gold ornaments worth around Rs 9 lakh and a two-wheeler.

The arrests helped police solve three chain-snatching cases reported in Penumuru and G.D. Nellore police station limits. The accused were identified as M. Murugan, 52, and K. Babu, 43, of Tiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu.

According to police, the accused targeted women travelling alone on rural roads and in less-crowded areas. Two chain-snatching incidents were reported at Moravakandriga and Chinnarajupalli under Penumuru police station limits on July 11 and July 30. Another incident occurred near Bomma-varipalli village in G.D. Nellore mandal on May 12.

Police examined CCTV footage, collected technical evidence and gathered information from local sources to trace the accused. Acting on information, police teams arrested the two persons near Kotha Road in Penumuru mandal on Friday.

Police said Murugan had 16 property offence cases registered against him at different police stations.

Women’s Commission seeks report on KGBV incident

AP Women’s Commission chairperson Dr Rayapati Shailaja has sought a detailed report on an incident in which a girl student allegedly jumped from the hostel building at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Atmakur mandal of Anantapur district late on Thursday.

The chairperson expressed concern over the reported delay in shifting the injured girl to hospital. The student sustained fractures to her leg and hand after allegedly jumping from the hostel building late on Thursday night. According to the information available, she was kept at the hostel during the night and shifted to hospital only on Friday morning.

Dr Shailaja sought details on how the incident occurred, why the girl allegedly jumped from the building in the middle of the night and why the matter was allegedly not brought to the notice of the authorities immediately.

She directed Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Manjunath and Sakhi manager Shantamani to visit the spot and collect details of the incident.

The Women’s Commission chairperson also directed officials to ensure that the girl receives medical treatment and take all necessary steps for her recovery. Officials are gathering information from the concerned staff and others to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident.

Engineering student from Vijayawada dies by suicide in Gujarat

A 20-year-old engineering student from Vijayawada, G. Hemanth, has died allegedly by suicide on the campus of Marwadi University in Rajkot district of Gujarat on Friday.

Hemanth was studying fifth-semester Computer Science Engineering and had undergone a few surgeries recently. He reportedly told his hostel roommate that he wanted to die if his health issues persisted.

Kuvadava police found no suicide note and registered a case. An investigation is under way.

Temple EO suspended over administrative lapses

The endowments department has suspended G. Suresh, executive officer, Grade-II, of Sri Lakshmi Padmavathi Sametha Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Gorantla in Guntur Rural mandal over reported irregularities in temple administration and handling of funds.

Endowments commissioner K. Ramachandra Mohan, in proceedings issued on Friday, said Suresh failed to report missing silver articles, including a plate and harathi sets, until devotees raised the issue.

The proceedings noted that CCTV footage from August 19 showed Suresh entering a rear room with bundles of cash during hundial counting, raising questions over transparency.

The order also noted that he had a cash transaction with Arigala Lakshmaiah during the hundial process involving repayment of Rs. 10,000 for coins taken for business purposes. The transaction was termed improper and raised suspicion over the handling of temple funds.

Other lapses included failure to obtain the signatures of all participants in the hundial register, failure to preserve CCTV footage and lack of diligence in safeguarding temple properties and records.

The commissioner observed that the acts amounted to misconduct and brought disrepute to temple administration.

Pending an enquiry, Suresh has been directed not to leave the headquarters without permission.

Kidnapped four-year-old girl rescued using RTGS 360° surveillance system

Lalapet police in Guntur city rescued a four-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped and arrested two persons with the help of the RTGS 360° surveillance system.

Acting on the orders of district SP Vakul Jindal and under the supervision of the East DSP, police traced the child and arrested the two accused within hours.

A case was registered under Cr.No. 293/2026 under Section 137(2) of the BNS (Section 363 of the IPC) following a complaint by B. Kondamma, 65, of Saibaba Colony. She told police that her granddaughter, B. Sai Pallavi, daughter of late Rajesh, had been taken away by her daughter-in-law’s brother, Pasupuleti Sai Manoj Kumar, who promised to buy her snacks but did not return.

Investigators examined CCTV footage across Guntur and identified Manoj Kumar and his wife, Shaik Sumaya, as suspects. Their photographs, along with the child’s, were uploaded into the RTGS 360° system. An alert was later received from Bapatla railway station after the couple were spotted there.

Lalapet police, assisted by RPF personnel, searched the area and found the couple with the child at a tea stall outside the station. The girl was rescued and handed over to her family.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly told police that they intended to raise the child themselves as they had no children.

Police officials commended Lalapet SI S.K. Hashim for leading the operation, along with HC 6525 Sk. Md. K. Shareef, PC 4347 P. Kiran Kumar and PC 5056 P. Shankar.

Clashes between two groups during Ganesh immersion leave 10 injured

Ten people were injured after clashes broke out between two groups in Nuzvid town late on Thursday night during a Ganesh immersion procession.

The clash reportedly followed a dispute between R. Raju and D. Satyanarayana. Members of the two groups attacked each other with knives and sticks.

Nuzvid town and Nuzvid Rural police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Nuzvid town police registered cases against the two groups.

Srikakulam police recover Rs. 41.5 lakh worth valuables from offender

Srikakulam district police arrested 30-year-old Punnana Rambabu for his alleged involvement in burglaries in parts of the district and recovered gold and silver ornaments worth `41.5 lakh from him.

Police recovered over 270 grams of gold ornaments and 1.3 kg of silver ornaments from the accused.

Police said Rambabu, a native of Vizianagaram district and resident of Vijayawada, was involved in five property offences in the district.

PG medical student dies by suicide in Vizag

A 27-year-old postgraduate medical student has died by suicide at her residence in Ramnagar under the III Town police station limits in Vizag city on Thursday.

The deceased was identified as P. Shailaja, a final-year general medicine PG student at Andhra Medical College. She was appearing for her year-end examinations.

Her parents told police that examination-related stress and pressure might have led her to take the step.

Vizag police recover Rs. 1.13 crore worth stolen property

Vizag city police recovered gold, cash, motorcycles, mobile phones and other valuables worth over `1.13 crore stolen in August 2026, commissioner of police Dr Shankabrata Bagchi said on Friday.

He said 97 property offence cases were reported in the city in August, of which police detected 74 cases and arrested 102 offenders. Police recovered over 796 grams of gold ornaments, 9.5 kg of silver ornaments, over `14.75 lakh in cash, 25 motorcycles, three laptops and 414 missing and stolen mobile phones, all worth over `1.13 crore.

The recovered property was handed over to the owners at a recovery mela on Friday.

Bagchi said police had recovered 11,958 stolen and lost mobile phones worth Rs. 17.94 crore in the past two years. Property recovery melas had benefited thousands of people, with police recovering and handing over stolen property worth over Rs. 25 crore to owners so far, he said.

As part of measures to prevent crime, police installed 661 CCTV cameras across the city in August and conducted 472 crime awareness meetings to educate the public about criminal activities and prevention strategies.

Police, NDRF rescue pregnant woman from marooned village

Parvathipuram Manyam police and NDRF personnel rescued a nine-month pregnant woman from a marooned village and shifted her to a government hospital in an ambulance on Friday.

Bhoomika of Annavaram village, who was in her ninth month of pregnancy and due for delivery, developed labour pains. Her family members wanted her to be shifted to hospital immediately but could not reach the ambulance as the village was completely marooned.

Police and NDRF personnel escorted her through neck-deep water after making her wear a life jacket. They waded through the floodwaters to reach the other side of the bank, where an ambulance was waiting.

Nurses accompanied Bhoomika in the ambulance to Palakonda hospital and monitored her condition during the journey to ensure she received medical care if required.

Villagers and local residents appreciated the rescue teams for their prompt response and service during the floods.