Warangal CP A.K. Jha showing the recovered gold in Hanamkonda on Friday.
The Central Crime Station (CCS) and Matwada police have arrested a man for allegedly stealing gold from the shop where he worked, and recovered 700 grams of gold biscuits worth over ₹52 lakh from him.
The accused has been identified as Suresh Laxmanbad (30), a resident of Bhagyanagar, Sangli district, Maharashtra.
Disclosing the details on Friday, Warangal Police Commissioner Ambar Kishor Jha said that Suresh was taken into custody on Thursday.
“The accused used to work at a gold smelting shop on Vishwakarma Street, Warangal, and won the owner’s trust. He had been living alone and managing a gold business, but his addiction to gambling and mounting debts led him to commit the crime,” the Commissioner said. He started working under gold shop owner Sanjay on May 24.
“Over time, he earned Sanjay’s trust, who eventually gave him the shop key. On June 14, when a large quantity of gold arrived for smelting, Suresh turned off the CCTV cameras and fled with 800 grams of gold,” Mr. Jha added.
Following a complaint, police formed special investigation teams under the supervision of Central Zone DCP Sheikh Salima and Additional DCP Ravi.
When CCS police got a tip-off about Suresh travelling by train from Secunderabad to Vijayawada on July 18 to sell the stolen gold, Matwada police led by Inspector Abbaiah reached the railway station and apprehended the accused.
On interrogation, Suresh confessed to melting the stolen gold at his friend Suraj Tanaji Yadav’s gold smelting shop in Pune. He converted the gold into eight biscuits of 100 grams each and sold one biscuit to Suraj. While he was in the process of selling the remaining, he was caught.
