Hyderabad: Rachakonda SOT has solved the recent case of theft of antique panchaloha idols from the Ramalayam temple at Gundepudi village in Mahabubabad district and arrested a three-member gang thieves on Friday. The police also recovered 12 panchaloha idols, all worth Rs 3 crore in the international market.
The arrested were identified as K. Latchi Ram, auto-rickshaw driver from Yadadri district, K. Santosh, a cab driver and V. John, a cab driver from Suryapet district. Police said Latchi Ram went to the temple for darshan recently and plotted to steal the antique panchaloha idols and sell it. They conducted a recce and stole the idols in the last week of October.
The incident came to light on October 28 when temple priest Samudrala Vennkata Laxmi Narasimhacharyulu found the idols stolen from the temple and reported the matter to the Maripeda police, who registered a case and took up investigation. The processional deities had been kept inside the temple along with the main idols for years. Locals believe that the idols belong to the Kakatiya era. There was no adequate security for the idols in the temple. Besides, there was no strong room and CCTV cameras and a small lock was used to keep the idols locked.
The police seized 12 Panchaloha idols comprising Srirama, Seethamma, Laxmana, Sudarshana Swami, two idols of Alwarulu, six small idols of Vishnumurthi, Sridevi, Bhoodevi, Krishnudu, three silver Kiritalu, TATA Indica Vista Car Br. No. TS05UA-2812, three Mobile phones.
Police said though they lifted the idols from the temple, they had no idea how to sell the panchaloha idols in the market. The three big idols were chopped into small pieces by the accused and took some pieces to check gold content in it and decided to melt the idols to collect the gold.
On a tip off, the SOT sleuths of LB Nagar Zone nabbed the accused this morning near Kothaguda crossroads under Abdullahpurmet police limits and interrogated them. The trio confessed to the theft of stolen idols. (NSS)
