Auto driver arrested for stealing gold ornaments

A 25-year-old autorickshaw driver was arrested by Gopalapuram police on Thursday for robbing a passenger through attention diversion at the ticket counter of Secunderabad Railway Station.

The arrested suspect, identified as Mohammed Mateen, is the son of one late Mohammed Shakeel, a resident of Khila Bazaar in the Khammam town of Khammam district.

“Mateen is a habitual offender and was involved in around nine cases of breaking into houses at night. He was arrested several times by the Khammam police and was released nine months back from Khammam jail. After release from jail he started earning his livelihood by operating a hired autorickshaw,” said north zone deputy commissioner of police B. Sumathi.

“As he was not able to earn adequate money by driving an autorickshaw he decided to start thefts. In Khammam town he attempted to snatch the cellphone of a person and fled from the spot. He then shifted to Secunderabad and stole a bag containing gold ornaments weighing around four tolas, by diverting the attention of the victim, Kona Nagamani, when he was asked for help to carry her luggage. The command control centre spotted him at a nearby bus stop on Wednesday,” the deputy commissioner added.

The police booked a case against Mohammed Mateen under Section 379 (theft) of IPC and remanded him.