In a strange incident, a couple in Andhra Pradesh allegedly snatched a gold chain to fund their wedding, as they failed to get jobs. The incident occurred in a temple in Hasthinapuram. The Vanasthalipuram police arrested the duo in Hyderabad’s Malkajgiri for snatching a gold chain from an elderly person.
The couple identified as Annapu Reddy Durga Ramana Reddy (23) and Tenka Varalaxmi (24) allegedly covered the elderly woman’s mouth under the pretext of helping her and forcefully snatched her gold ornament.
The victim, identified as Andugula Ramulamma, was cleaning the temple when the accused allegedly targeted her in the absence of other devotees. The duo snatched the gold chain weighing 30 grams and fled on an Activa. The incident had taken place at around 6.04 am on October 18 at the Raja Rajeshwari Temple in Venkata Ramana Colony.
What did the investigation reveal?
According to the police, Varalaxmi allegedly held the elderly woman and covered her mouth while Ramana Reddy forcibly removed her gold chain (a pusthelathadu). The duo then fled on an Activa scooter.
Investigators examined the CCTV footage and tracked the suspects' movements across multiple locations before arresting them near a jewellery shop in Kamala Nagar, Vanasthalipuram, three days later on Wednesday morning.
Police recovered the stolen gold ornament and two mobile phones belonging to the accused. The cops said both accused, Annapu Reddy Durga Ramana Reddy and Tenka Varalaxmi, are from Andhra Pradesh and are lovers who had been in a relationship for about a year and a half. They have been living together in the Gurramguda area of the city and are first-time offenders, with no previous criminal cases registered against them.
The Andhra couple wanted to get married and committed the crime due to financial distress, police said. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody, and the cops are undertaking further investigation into the matter.