Two persons were arrested and stolen property worth Rs.3,90,000 was recovered by the Gajuwaka Police.

Giving details to the media here on Tuesday, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes) S. Varada Raju said in the first case, A. Raju (71) of Peda Gantyada, withdrew Rs.2 lakh from the State Bank branch at Old Gajuwaka and was waiting alone with the cash in his car around 1 p.m. on April, 15, 2013. Some unidentified person knocked on the car door and signalled to him that some items had fallen beneath the car.

Believing his words, Raju opened the car door and bent down to pick up the fallen items.

Another accused, who was waiting on the other side of the car, picked up the cash bag and fled.

The victim lodged a complaint with the Gajuwaka Police.

The accused was arrested by Gajuwaka Crime Inspector P. Koteswara Rao, SI P. Eswar Rao and their staff at Duvvada Railway Station on Tuesday. During the course of investigation, the accused confessed his crime and said that he had committed six other ‘attention diversion’ offences in the city.

The total property lost in the seven cases was Rs.9.17 lakh of which Rs.2.5 lakh cash and a mobile phone was recovered by the police.

Cash found missing

In another case, an amount of Rs.1.79 lakh was found missing from the ING Vysya Bank ATM at Old Gajuwaka junction on December 12 this year, when Ravi Kumar (39), Manager of CMS Info Systems Pvt. Limited, Hyderabad, was checking the transactions at the end of the day.

He suspected foul play by the security guard and lodged a complaint with the police.

The Gajuwaka Police searched the house of the suspect, recovered Rs.1.40 lakh cash, and arrested the accused.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (South) K. Venkata Ramana was present at the media conference.

Mr. Varada Raju said that two more members of the ’attention diversion’ gang were yet to be arrested.

He appealed to the public to think twice before believing strangers.

Apart from dropping currency notes on the ground, other forms like pouring ink or other material on shirts could also be poured to divert attention and deceive innocent persons.