Markapur: Prakasam district police have arrested three individuals in connection with a robbery case where an 82-year-old woman was assaulted and robbed of gold ornaments worth Rs 6.40 lakh. The swift action by police led to the recovery of all stolen items within just 48 hours of the crime.

Markapur DSP U Nagaraju explained that the incident occurred on the night of May 13 when Bandi Ravanamma, an elderly woman living alone in Venkateswara Nagar, was attacked in her sleep by two intruders who forcibly entered her home.

He said that the accused covered the victim’s mouth, punched her on the chest and face, and threatened to kill her if she screamed. They fled with a gold chain and four gold bangles.

The victim was later admitted to Kandula Obul Reddy Hospital in Markapur Town for treatment, where doctors alerted police about the incident. Prakasam SP AR Damodar supervised the investigation, with DSP U Nagaraju leading the team. Through analysis of CCTV footage and technical intelligence, police identified and apprehended the suspects near the NH 565 highway on May 16. The arrested individuals have been identified as Kurukondula Mallikarjuna (27), his wife Vasundara (22), and Dandeboyina Kasinath (49), all relatives residing in the same neighbourhood as the victim.

The DSP said that during interrogation, the suspects confessed that they had been facing severe financial difficulties and planned the robbery after noticing the elderly woman regularly walking in their neighbourhood wearing gold ornaments. He said that the criminals had also sprinkled chili powder around the victim’s bed to avoid detection by police dogs. SP Damodar commended the investigation team, including DSP U Nagaraju, CI P Subbarao, and others, for their quick action in solving the case.

This swift resolution sent a strong message that crimes against the elderly will not be tolerated in our district, he said.