Hyderabad: The Khairatabad Police on Tuesday, June 16, arrested a 48-year-old Andhra Pradesh man for allegedly stealing gold ornaments from a passenger’s handbag aboard a private inter-city bus, recovering the entire stolen property.
The complainant had reported the loss of a handbag containing approximately 62 gram of gold ornaments while travelling in a private travels bus from Andhra Pradesh to Sangareddy district. A case was registered at Khairatabad Police Station.
During investigation, the accused was identified as Tatapudi Tella Raja, also known as Raju, a resident of Darsi village and mandal in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. He confessed to the offence during interrogation, the police said, and the full quantity of stolen gold ornaments was recovered from his possession.
Further verification revealed that Raju is a repeat offender with at least six prior cases to his name, including theft cases registered at Kukatpally, Pet Basheerabad, Panjagutta and Narsaraopet police stations between 2008 and 2025.
He also confessed to two additional offences, one registered at LB Nagar Police Station and another at Saifabad Police Station.
Police issue advisory
Meanwhile, Hyderabad Police issued an advisory urging long-distance bus travellers to keep valuables in personal custody at all times, avoid leaving bags unattended on seats or in open luggage racks and promptly report suspicious activity to bus staff or police.
Bus operators were advised to install functional closed circuit television (CCTV) camera systems, maintain proper passenger records, sensitise staff to remain vigilant and make periodic announcements reminding passengers to safeguard their belongings.
