Overview A Hyderabad couple has been arrested on allegations of infiltrating hospitals, drugging patients, and robbing them of gold jewellery. Police identified the accused as 25-year-old Goundla Shirisha, a Pharm.D student, and her 30-year-old husband, Edulapally Sai Kumar Goud. Authorities say the pair posed as medical professionals to approach patients before administering a sedative and committing the thefts. [source: The Hindu - Telangana] [source: Telangana Today]
How the scheme allegedly worked According to police accounts reported by local outlets, the woman allegedly posed as a member of hospital staff and administered Diazepam to patients to render them unconscious. Jewellery was then removed and the perpetrators fled, investigators said. Both Telangana Today and The Siasat Daily report the use of Diazepam as the sedative involved. [source: Telangana Today] [source: The Siasat Daily]
Arrest and agencies involved The arrests were carried out by the Commissioner’s Task Force (Secunderabad Zone) working with the Market police under the Malkajgiri commissionerate, according to The Hindu. The Siasat Daily also reports that the Secunderabad Zone Task Force and Market police made the arrests. This indicates coordinated action between the Task Force and local police units. [source: The Hindu - Telangana] [source: The Siasat Daily]
Seizures reported by police Police seized gold ornaments weighing about 11 tolas, two mobile phones, and a car from the accused, Telangana Today reported. The Siasat Daily also reported a seizure of approximately 11 tolas of gold jewellery along with two mobile phones and a vehicle. These accounts align on the categories of items recovered and the approximate quantity of gold. [source: Telangana Today] [source: The Siasat Daily]
Where and how victims were targeted Coverage indicates the thefts occurred across hospitals in the city, with victims targeted inside medical facilities where the accused allegedly posed as healthcare staff. The Hindu summarized the pattern as drugging patients and stealing gold ornaments from hospitals across Hyderabad. Reports also note that elderly women were among those targeted, consistent with a scenario in which victims were incapacitated before their jewellery was taken. [source: The Hindu - Telangana] [source: The Siasat Daily] [source: Telangana Today]
Identities and origin The accused were named as Goundla Shirisha and her husband, Edulapally Sai Kumar Goud, with their ages given as 25 and 30, respectively. Telangana Today reported that they reside in Vikarabad district, while The Hindu identified Shirisha as a Pharm.D student from Vikarabad. Together, these reports place the couple’s background in the Vikarabad area while noting the alleged crimes occurred in Hyderabad. [source: Telangana Today] [source: The Hindu - Telangana]
Timeline and points of disagreement Outlets differ on the precise arrest date. The Hindu reported the pair were apprehended on Monday, March 16, while The Siasat Daily stated the arrests took place on Tuesday, March 17. Telangana Today, published on March 17, reported that the arrests occurred on Tuesday but did not specify a date, further aligning with the March 17 account. Where dates diverge, this brief flags the discrepancy rather than resolving it. [source: The Hindu - Telangana] [source: The Siasat Daily] [source: Telangana Today]
What remains to be clarified Some specifics are carried by individual outlets and await broader corroboration. For example, The Siasat Daily named two hospitals where similar thefts allegedly occurred and mentioned the make of the seized car, details not present in other reports reviewed here. Telangana Today described a particular incident involving a senior citizen at a private hospital in Secunderabad on March 11 and referenced advisories to improve hospital security—again, details not echoed in the other sources provided. These items are listed in the “what_unclear” section below pending wider confirmation. [source: The Siasat Daily] [source: Telangana Today]
The bottom line Multiple outlets agree that a Pharm.D student and her husband were arrested on allegations of posing as medical staff in Hyderabad hospitals, drugging patients with a sedative, and stealing gold jewellery. Police from the Task Force and Market police were involved, and authorities reported recovering roughly 11 tolas of gold along with mobile phones and a car. Discrepancies remain about the exact arrest date and some case specifics, which will be clearer as official details are consolidated. [source: The Hindu - Telangana] [source: Telangana Today] [source: The Siasat Daily]