Karimnagar, Telangana: A 55-year-old woman named Tangarala Lakshmi was robbed and pushed into a deep well by a gambling-addicted 21-year-old student. The accused, Dhamma Dinesh Reddy, lured her with a fake job offer on July 1. Burdened by heavy debts from online betting losses of nearly Rs 4 lakh, he stole her gold, silver, and cash, then pushed her into the well hoping she would d*e.
Lakshmi fought bravely for survival inside the well for nearly 21 hours. She held onto a cable after the rope was cut and stayed afloat until local farmers rescued her the next morning. Her family had earlier reported her missing to the police.
Police traced Reddy using CCTV footage, ride booking records, and phone data. He confessed to the crime during questioning. A jeweller who bought the stolen gold was also arrested. The case, which began as a missing complaint, is now being treated as robbery and attempted m*rder.
