Representative Image

HYDERABAD: Cocking a snook at Rachakonda police, who have been trying to catch them for the past one month, members of the notorious 'Chaddi Gang' struck at a flat of a US-based IT professional in Meerpet and stole 10 tolas of gold in the early hours of Wednesday. The gang created panic in the area as they latched main doors of other flats in the apartment complex before breaking into the victim's house and attacked the watchman with stones while leaving the area with the stolen booty.

At about 12.45am, three robbers wearing 'chaddi and baniyan' entered the Bloomingdale apartment in Agricultural Colony of Meerpet. While two offenders stood guard near the watchman's room, the third started latching the main doors of other flats. There were eight flats in the four-storied apartment complex and except for flat number 301, people were present in the other flats.

The owner of 301, Manikanta, a TCS employee, went to Florida three months ago for work and since then, his residence was locked. The offender broke the main door and entered his flat. He opened the iron safe and stole the gold, police said.

Chandramohan Reddy, who lives in a flat below Manikanta's residence, woke up on hearing the noise and called the watchman to see what was happening. The offenders locked the door of the watchman's room from outside, but since the window did not have a grill, he came out from there. The robbers then threw stones at him. Meanwhile, other residents of the complex also woke up and raised an alarm after finding their doors latched.

Sensing that people were coming out of their houses, the three robbers fled. Some residents started searching for the offenders and saw a car (AP 09 CP 4061) suddenly speeding away. "We chased the car for some distance, but after reaching Sagar Road, they managed to speed away," a resident told the police.

Police then checked the vehicle details and realised that the car owner stays at BN Reddy Colony near Agricultural Colony. "We have found that some youngsters were in the car. On seeing locals coming towards them, they got scared and drove away," Rachakonda DCP, crimes, K R Nagaraju, said.

CLUES Team collected fingerprints from the crime scene and police launched a manhunt to nab the offenders.

Modus operandi

Wearing just their underwear, backpacks and oil, the four men are described as large, strong and dangerous. They are known to lurk around quiet neighborhoods and to study the goings-on before striking at a house or apartment. They carry screwdrivers and other equipment that allow them to unscrew window grills.

