Gold Thief Posing As Doctor Held In Kadapa

In a significant breakthrough, the RIMS police and a special team of the YSR district police arrested Vemula Manideep alias Mani (24) and recovered about 220 gram of gold jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh from him, Superintendent of Police K K N Anburajan told the media at Pennar Police Conference Hall on Saturday.

The accused is a native of Kadapa city, and was involved in gold jewellery theft cases in the government general hospital (RIMS).

Mani committed his thefts by posing as a doctor and administering intoxicants to patients. In the first week of April 2022, he went into the female medical ward of RIMS and, posing as a doctor, administered an intoxicant through an injection to a patient named Battala Latha of Chennur, and took off with her gold chain weighing about 20 gram. She was undergoing treatment for paralysis.

In another case registered on May 30, 2022, Mani went into the ophthalmology ward of RIMS and administered an intoxicant through an injection to a patient named Ramakkagari Kesava Lakshumma of Kamalapuram, who was undergoing treatment for an eye infection, and got away with her gold chain weighing about 22 gram.

Likewise, on June 7, he went into the gynaecology labour ward of the same hospital and administered an intoxicant to a patient named Basireddy Vijaya Lakshmi, of Bramhamgari Mattam, who was admitted for delivery. He sent the husband and mother of the patient from the room and took off with her gold chain weighing about 30 gram.

Mani also got acquainted with one Nimmakayala Balireddy of C K Dinne Mandal by introducing himself as a medical officer in RIMS. In April 2022, he took 150 gram of gold jewellery from Balireddy's family members by cheating them. Later, he pledged the jewellery and took a Rs 4 lakh gold loan.

Speaking about the accused's modus operandi, the SP said, "He had earlier worked as an MNO (Male Nursing Orderly) in the Covid-19 ward of RIMS, Kadapa, during the Covid time. He is knowledgable about intoxicants. He posed as a doctor and stole jewellery from the patients to earn easy money to lead his luxurious life."

The police team succeeded in recovering jewellery valued at around Rs 10 lakh from Mani. He also seized a stethoscope and an apron used by Mani to commit the offence.