Date:19/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/19/stories/2006081921190500.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Frisking nets Rs. 6.5 lakhs from autorickshaw driver

Staff Reporter

Police hand over the suitcase to the owner

HYDERABAD: A routine frisking operation helped the police nab an autorickshaw driver, who was moving around with a suitcase containing gold and silver articles, and U.S. dollars, all worth over Rs. 6.5 lakhs, at Kanchanbagh late on Thursday night.

Ramavath Lukia (35) of Edi Bazaar was on his way to his friend's house at Balapur when he was arrested.

The police were conducting routine checks in front of the Kanchanbagh police station, when they found Lukia moving under suspicious circumstances in his auto.

During interrogation, Lukia confessed that the owner of the suitcase, Rajagopal, had left it behind in the autorickshaw at Zamistanpur in Musheerabad in July.

"We have registered a theft case against Lukia as he had stolen a few currency notes by breaking open the suitcase," police said. The suitcase was handed over to Mr. Rajagopal, a retired engineer and resident of Zamistanpur, on Friday.