Muthoot heist: Major shootout at Tondupally averted

Decided to open fire if dacoits tried to escape by firing at us, but luckily that did not happen, say cops

Hyderabad: Thondupally toll plaza, where a veterinary doctor was gang-raped and killed by four youngsters before the body was burnt in 2019, was in news again as a major shootout was averted with five dreaded dacoits travelling in a Tata Sumo as the pilot for a container that had firearms hidden in it, here on Saturday.

Minutes after receiving information from Tamil Nadu police on Friday night that an armed dacoits’ gang, was entering Telangana after stealing 25 kg gold ornaments from the Muthoot Finance branch office in Hosur, over 100 police personnel from the three Commissionerates of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda swung into action.

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After cross-checking that dacoits were possessing firearms, a police team from Cyberabad along with an ambush party stood at Thondupally toll plaza armed with the latest weapons.

When a police team deployed at Raikal toll plaza in Mahbubnagar informed the team at Thondupally toll plaza that a Sumo was heading towards Shamshabad, the police personnel wearing bulletproof jackets took positions. “Even if dacoits attempted to brandish firearms, we would have an open fire on them,” a police official, who coordinated the operation with other police teams at the toll plaza, said.

Since the commencement of the search operation, Telangana Police had decided to open fire and be fully prepared if dacoits tried to escape by firing at them. “Luckily that did not happen and we managed to detain them easily,” the official said.

There were chances of dacoits opening fire on police if they were carrying firearms instead of hiding them in a secret cavity created behind the container driver’s seat along with the stolen mortgaged gold ornaments weighing 25 kg.

As the dacoit’s gang earlier killed a person at the Muthoot Finance branch office in Ludhiana by opening 32 rounds of fire, the instructions from higher-ups were that the field-level officers should not hesitate to open fire on the suspects.

Key accomplice gives slip

Amith alias Vivek Shukla, one of the key persons in the seven-member dacoit’s gang that struck at Muthoot Finance branch office in Hosur in Tamil Nadu on Friday morning, managed to escape when Cyberabad police were checking at Medchal early on Saturday.

He was travelling in the container in which seven firearms and 25 kg gold jewelelry were hidden in a secret cavity behind the driver’s seat. While a police team was checking the driver and cleaner along with the vehicle, Amith, a native of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, gave a slip to the police, covering his face with a towel.

The police after intercepting the container could not initially find the stolen gold jewellery despite searching the entire vehicle.

However, a more detailed examination of the driver’s cabin revealed a secret cavity with firearms and the booty hidden in it. As the police were busy collecting information from the driver Teka Ram and cleaner Rajiv Kumar, Amith took advantage of this and vanished from the premises.

From Thondupally, Teka Ram took a right turn and proceeded towards Medchal from the Outer Ring Road (ORR). It was learnt that Teka Ram, on seeing a large contingent of police, managed to overtake other lorries that were stopped for checking at the toll plaza and hurriedly took the ORR stretch.

However, the coordination between the police on toll plazas at Raikal and Tondupally helped the police team intercept the container at Medchal and recover the stolen gold jewellery intact.

Except for Amith and weapons dealer Lulya Pandey of Nagpur, the police arrested seven gang members in the case. Escorted by an armed police team, the arrested persons were taken to Hosur in a bus.

Also read:

Gang pulls off Muthoot heist in 15 mins

Muthoot Finance thanks cops for swift action

Telangana cops cut short Hosur heist gang’s daring escape

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