Robbers robbed! Hyderabad robbers flee with Rs 72 lakh; only to be robbed by another gang

HYDERABAD: Robbers robbed! The intriguing sequence of events occurred at Pot Market in Secunderabad on June 18. The heist came to light when a bullion merchant approached the Market police alleging that robbers, posing as cops, stole 72 lakh cash from his possession on June 18.Police registered a robbery case and scoured through the footage of over 100 CCTV cameras to zero in on 18 offenders from different places in the city.Ironically, one of the offenders is a police constable. Police investigation revealed that Chandra Shekar Verma and Nagaraju Kumar Verma, brothers from Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh and who were into water business in Hyderabad, posed as bullion traders and promised to sell fellow bullion trader Hariram a kilogram of gold at a 5% discount, if he paid cash.According to deputy commissioner of police (DCP), North Zone, Rashmi Perumal, after confirming the availability of cash at his office on June 18, four accomplices led by Telangana Special Police (TGSP) Kondapur battallion constable, Keshavulu from Nagarkurnool, entered Hariram's office masquerading as officers of the Special Operations Team (SOT).Without any provocation, the accused assaulted him and fled with one of the bags containing 72 lakh cash. They also took away the cell phone of the victim to prevent him from contacting his associates.While the gang members were escaping, a group of offenders, who were into recovery of loan defaulters' vehicles, spotted the bike used by one of the robbers, Bhanu Prakash, an EMI defaulter from Kukatpally.They tailed him and intercepted the vehicle at Trimulgherry. "They saw cash in Bhanu's bag and snatched it away from his possession," Market inspector V Ramchander said.Eighteen offenders from the two gangs have been arrested from different areas in the city, while 10 of their associates were absconding. Apart from 43 lakh cash, police recovered 6 lakh worth gold, two cars, four bikes and 23 mobiles from them.