Hyderabad: The Gachibowli police today apprehended a couple accused of robbing gold ornaments from people who passed away due to COVID-19 and from other patients who were unconscious at the state-run Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS).
The accused, C. Raju (36) and his wife C. Lathasri (39), were employed in the patient care ward at TIMS and started to notice gold ornaments worn by patients who were undergoing treatment there. The couple decided to steal the ornaments and any other valuables on patients who were in an unconscious state and from dead bodies as well.
As Lathasri kept watch, her husband Raju would steal the ornaments off of people. Working in the patient care ward, they knew the medical condition of various patients and hence could gauge which patient to steal from.
Post robberies, the couple mortgaged some of the ornaments with Muthoot Finance, sold some in Attica Gold Company, and used some of the money as well. Whatever gold was left was mortgaged with Jagadamba Jewelers at Jagadgirigutta.
In their investigation, Gachibowli police officials were aided by their counterparts from the Jagadirigutta and CCS department (Cyberabad). During their interrogation, Raju and Lathasri confessed to having committed the thefts. The police recovered some gold and silver ornaments aside from one Samsung mobile phone.
The accused will be produced before the court to discuss details of imprisonment and have been booked under Section 380 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
