Bahalapalli (Sri Sathya Sai district): Bathalapalli police arrested an inter-district theft gang involved in a series of gold thefts targeting women passengers boarding buses and recovered gold ornaments worth Rs 8 lakh, Dharmavaram Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) B Hemanth Kumar informed.

Addressing the reporters at Bathalapalli police station on Thursday, the DSP along with CI N Prabhakar and SI D Somasekhar, said the accused were identified as Vanarchi Kotayya alias Yogi (30), driver; his wife Vanarchi Pilisha (25), who sells hair bands and clips; and Sindya Shanti (23), hotel worker — all residents of Bharat Nagar, Adoni town in Kurnool district. Three juveniles were also involved in the offences.

Acting on the instructions of district SP S Satish Kumar, a special team led by DSP Hemanth Kumar arrested the accused on Thursday at 12.30 pm near flyover bridge on Dharmavaram road in Bathalapalli village.

The police recovered 12 tolas of gold ornaments from their possession.

The gang was involved in multiple theft cases, including theft of four-tola gold chain from a woman boarding bus at Bathalapalli crossroads on December 23, and theft of four gold bangles from another woman on Tadipatri road on the same day this year.

They were also accused in a 2022 case involving theft of gold jewellery from a woman travelling on Dharmavaram–Anantapur bus.