HYDERABAD: Cyberabad police arrested a couple, Chinthalapally Raju and Chinthalapally Lathasri, who worked as caretakers at the state-run TIMS hospital on charges of looting valuables from COVID-19 patients. Police detected seven cases and recovered stolen property worth Rs 10 lakh from the couple.
Among the seven cases, gold ornaments were stolen from the bodies of patients who had died in three cases and from patients in a semi-unconscious state during their stay in the hospital in four other cases.
Based on credible information, police caught them while they were attempting to dispose of the stolen property and on further inquiry, they admitted to the offences.
After committing the thefts, they mortgaged and sold some of the ornaments with finance companies and the remaining gold was mortgaged with Ashok of Jagdamba Jewellers at Jagadgirigutta, said DCP Madhapur M Venkateshwarlu.
Raju, hailing from Mahabubnagar district, got separated from his first wife and moved to Hyderabad. While working as a car driver, he met Lathasri in 2017 and later married her. Since then, they have been living at Kukatpally along with her children.
Lathasri had been working as a caretaker in TIMS Hospital on an outsourcing basis for six months. Meanwhile, during the lockdown period, Raju was transporting some hospital staff residing at Jeedimetla. Later, he also joined as a caretaker at TIMS on an outsourcing basis.
While at work, they noticed gold ornaments on patients and also on the bodies of those who had died. Moreover, they also had knowledge of the patients’ health condition. Taking advantage of the situation, they made a plan to loot ornaments from them. Lathasri would keep a watch outside the ward and Raju stole ornaments from the patients when they were in a semi-unconscious state. In the same manner, they looted ornaments on bodies too.
With more theft cases being reported in the hospital and on suspicion of an insider role, police increased surveillance and caught the couple. They were sent to court for judicial remand.