Vijayawada: A 39-year-old woman was arrested by Prakasam police for committing multiple thefts by drugging elderly women and stealing gold ornaments. The police recovered 460 grams of gold jewellery worth approximately Rs 35 lakh and sedative tablets used in the crimes.
According to SP A R Damodar, the accused woman, identified as Ganta Elishamma of Devarampadu village in Ongole mandal, was involved in criminal activities and was arrested earlier in Vijayawada. She reportedly derived her modus operandi from a TV serial and decided to use sedative pills to facilitate her crimes. Under the guise of seeking medical treatment for her health issues, she obtained a prescription for sleeping pills and used these drugs in her thefts.
Elishamma targeted lonely elderly women at weddings and other gatherings. She befriended them, gained their trust over a couple of visits, and then spiked their drinks with a high dose of sedatives. Once they were unconscious, she stole their gold ornaments. Additionally, she posed as a customer in gold shops and committed thefts during her visits.
Her crime spree spanned several police station limits, including Tanguturu, Kothapatnam, Ongole Taluka, Ongole 1 Town, Ongole 2 Town, NG Padu, and Kandukur, where she committed nine thefts using sedatives and two thefts at jewellery shops. Tragically, two elderly women lost their lives due to her actions.
The investigation was meticulously conducted by a special team led by Tanguturu SI V Nagamalleswara Rao and Singarayakonda SI B Mahendra to track down the accused. Elishamma was arrested on Wednesday in Balaji Nagar, Ongole. Some of the stolen gold was pawned in Ongole, Podili, Inkollu, and Addanki. Further investigation is underway.
According to SP A R Damodar, the accused woman, identified as Ganta Elishamma of Devarampadu village in Ongole mandal, was involved in criminal activities and was arrested earlier in Vijayawada. She reportedly derived her modus operandi from a TV serial and decided to use sedative pills to facilitate her crimes. Under the guise of seeking medical treatment for her health issues, she obtained a prescription for sleeping pills and used these drugs in her thefts.
Elishamma targeted lonely elderly women at weddings and other gatherings. She befriended them, gained their trust over a couple of visits, and then spiked their drinks with a high dose of sedatives. Once they were unconscious, she stole their gold ornaments. Additionally, she posed as a customer in gold shops and committed thefts during her visits.
Her crime spree spanned several police station limits, including Tanguturu, Kothapatnam, Ongole Taluka, Ongole 1 Town, Ongole 2 Town, NG Padu, and Kandukur, where she committed nine thefts using sedatives and two thefts at jewellery shops. Tragically, two elderly women lost their lives due to her actions.
The investigation was meticulously conducted by a special team led by Tanguturu SI V Nagamalleswara Rao and Singarayakonda SI B Mahendra to track down the accused. Elishamma was arrested on Wednesday in Balaji Nagar, Ongole. Some of the stolen gold was pawned in Ongole, Podili, Inkollu, and Addanki. Further investigation is underway.
