VISAKHAPATNAM: G Madugula and Munchingiput police arrested three individuals for allegedly robbing Rs 15.62 lakh from a Welfare Assistant in Bangarumetta panchayat of Munchingiput mandal, Alluri Sitharama Raju district.
ASR SP Amit Bardar, addressing a press meet, said the incident occurred on July 31 around 5 PM. The victim, Kattari Machchebabu, a Welfare Assistant from Pedabayalu mandal, had withdrawn Rs 15.62 lakh from the SBI branch in Pedabayalu to disburse pensions to senior citizens on August 1. While returning, he was intercepted near Bangarumetta by unidentified persons wielding knives, who robbed him and fled on a scooter.
Following the complaint filed at Munchingiput Police Station, SP Amit formed special teams under the supervision of DSP Paderu Shaik Shahbaz Ahmed. Sub-Inspectors from Munchingiput, Araku, and Pedabayalu were roped in for a coordinated search.
On August 2, police received information and spotted three individuals sharing a large amount of cash near Jolaput village in Munchingiput mandal. G Madugula CI B Srinivas Rao and Munchingiput SI J Ramakrishna arrested them. The accused were Santosh Kumar Mahapatra (28), Vikas Kora (25), and Swapnil Durai (19), all from Koraput district in Odisha. They confessed to executing the robbery to make easy money.