Hyderabad, Jul 9 (IANS): A caretaker couple working at the state-run TIMS Hospital here have been arrested on charges of robbing Covid patients, and looting valuables from Covid victims at the hospital.

The Cyberabad Police said on Friday that stolen items amounting Rs 10 lakh have been recovered from Chintalapalli Raju and Lathasri, the husband-wife duo, who have been slapped with seven cases in this connection.

The recovered items include 16 tolas of gold ornaments and 80 tolas of silver anklets, the police said.

The seven cases include three involving stealing gold ornaments from the bodies of three patients who had died during treatment, while four cases are related to looting patients who were not in a conscious state.

Based on a tip-off, the accused were nabbed while they were trying to sell the stolen jewellery. On questioning, the duo confessed to the crime, said M. Venkateswalu, DCP, Madhapur.

After joining the hospital as caretakers few months ago, the couple noticed the gold ornaments worn by Covid patients, as well as those on the bodies of Covid victims.

Thereafter, they chalked out a plan to rob the corpses as well as critical patients. Raju would steal the ornaments while his wife kept watch outside the wards.

Later, they would dispose of the looted items by mortgaging or selling them to finance companies and local jewellers.

Following an increase in the number of thefts reported from the hospital, the police stepped up surveillance and nabbed the couple. The duo has been sent to judicial remand.