HYDERABAD: SR Nagar Police on Friday arrested a 30-year-old man from Erragadda for committing thefts of laptops from hostels. The accused has been identified as Bandlamudi Chinna Avulaiah. The police also arrested two receivers Nandigama Venkata Krishna (33) who operates a cell phone repair shop in Neredmet, and Mekala Venkateswarlu (30) a private employee residing in Amberpet.
The arrests resulted in the recovery of nine stolen laptops worth approximately Rs 2.13 lakh. Avulaiah, who previously worked as a security guard at various locations including Erragadda Metro Railway Station, had turned to committing thefts to address his financial difficulties.
After leaving his previous security job during the Covid-19 pandemic, he returned to Hyderabad in 2023 and found employment as a security guard at different locations such as Gachibowli and Kondapur, police said.
However, his financial strain led him to start a series of laptop thefts from boys and PG hostels in the SR Nagar area, where he had previously resided. Police said he systematically targeted hostels and stole laptops, which he then sold through his accomplices. Krishna and Venkateswarlu facilitated the sale of these stolen items.