- Telangana police arrested a notorious interstate burglary gang after months of investigation
- The gang operated across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and was highly wanted by authorities
- Prime accused Bhooshmi Srikanth was intercepted near Hyderabad and attacked police during arrest
Telangana police have arrested a notorious interstate burglary gang involved in a series of thefts across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The gang was termed one of the most wanted criminal groups operating in the Telugu states. Nalgonda police carried out an operation after months of investigation which culminated in a highway chase and encounter.
"The district police formed three special teams, analysed hundreds of CCTV footages and used advanced technology to identify the offenders. Their efforts led to the arrest of a hardened interstate burglary gang," SP Sharath Chandra Pawar said.
Police identified the prime accused as Bhooshmi Srikanth alias Ammiraju (41), a resident of Bhimavaram district in Andhra Pradesh, and arrested his associate Velpula Athendra alias Attili (21), a DCM vehicle driver, from the Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh.
The SP said the accused was intercepted near the Outer Ring Road on June 30 while travelling towards Hyderabad from Vijayawada.
During the operation, Srikanth allegedly attacked CCS Head Constable Vishnuvardhan Giri with an iron rod and later attempted to assault police personnel with a knife.
"Our team first fired three warning shots into the air. As the accused continued the attack, police opened fire at his legs in self-defence before taking him into custody," Sharath Chandra Pawar said.
The injured accused was shifted to a government hospital for treatment, while the injured head constable also received medical care.
Highlighting the criminal background of the accused, the SP said Srikanth is a history-sheeter with over 30 criminal cases already registered against him. "He was also involved in the murder of a police constable. After coming out of jail, he admitted to committing more than 40 thefts across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh," he said.
According to the police, Srikanth's fingerprints were found at 10 crime scenes, including three in Nalgonda district and seven in Andhra Pradesh. He has also been identified as an accused in eight burglary cases in the Nalgonda district alone.
Police registered the original burglary case at Miryalaguda Rural Police Station and a separate case for attacking police personnel at Adibatla Police Station. The SP said efforts are continuing to recover stolen property and identify other members of the gang.
