RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM : Two police constables, who broke into the lockup room of Veeravasaram police station in West Godavari district on the night of March 16 and decamped with Rs 8.04 lakh, were arrested on Saturday.
Due to bank holidays for four consecutive days, supervisors of government-run liquor outlets in the mandal kept the cash in the safe custody of police.
Constables U Gangajalam, who was attached to the police station for election duty, and G Ganeswara Rao of Veeravasaram police station had hatched a plan to steal the money. In pursuance of the plan, Gangajalam entered into the police station after scaling the compound wall from the rear side. He brought an iron pipe with him and with which he broke the lock of the lockup room and brought the box containing cash outside.
“Gangajalam removed the seal and broke the lock of the box and took away the money. He threw the broken lock behind the police station. Later, he took the lock of another lockup room in the police station and with it, he locked the lockup room in which the cash box was kept,’’ the police explained. Investigation Officer and Palacole Rural Circle Inspector D Venkateswara Rao said the liquor shop supervisors came to the police station the next day and found the cash missing after which a case was registered.
During the case investigation, the police found out that Gangajalam and Ganeswara Rao stole the money. Fearing that they might get caught, the duo initially concealed the money in the bushes near Abhayanjaneya Swamy temple in the town. Gangajalam later took his share from it and concealed the money in a dustbin at Tulasi convention centre in Veeravasaram.
As the duo came to know that their movements were recorded in the CCTV cameras, they fled. The two cops were apprehended at a bridge in Veeravasaram on Saturday morning. The duo were sent to judicial remand, the police said.
Gangajalam was earlier caught gambling by Polavaram police and was suspended. He joined duty in February. Ganeswara Rao was also suspended on charges of corruption while he was working at Tadepalligudem. After resumption of duty, he was transferred to Veeravasaram in December last year.