Hyderabad: A caretaker couple working in the city’s government-run TIMS hospital has been arrested for robbing Covid patients and robbing valuables from Covid victims in the hospital.
Cyberabad Police said on Friday (July 9) that stolen goods worth Rs 10 lakh have been recovered from Chintalpalli Raju and husband-wife duo Lathasree, against whom seven cases have been registered in this regard.
Police said the valuables recovered included 16 tola of gold ornaments and 80 tola of silver anklets.
Seven cases include three cases involving the theft of gold ornaments from the bodies of three patients who died during treatment, while four cases are related to robbing patients who were not conscious.
Based on the alert, the accused were arrested when they were trying to sell the stolen jewellery. Madhapur DCP M. Venkateshwaru said that on interrogation, both confessed their crime.
After joining the hospital as caretakers a few months ago, the couple looked at the bodies of Covid victims along with gold jewelery worn by Covid patients.
Thereafter, he planned to rob the grave patients along with the corpses. Raju used to steal ornaments while his wife used to guard the gates for him in the wards.
Later, they disposed of the looted goods by mortgaging them or selling them to financial companies and local jewellers.
Following the ever-increasing incidents of thefts from the hospital, the police intensified surveillance and nabbed the couple. Both have been sent to judicial remand.
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