HYDERABAD: The Rachakonda special operations team on Friday arrested the three persons involved in the theft from the Ramalayam temple at Gundepudi village in Mahabubabad district and recovered 12 stolen panchaloha idols worth Rs 3 crore from them.
Though the gang stole the idols a month ago, they did not dispose of them as they were not aware of the channels to dispose of the idols in the international market, police said. The arrested were identified as K Latchiram (31), K Santosh (21) and V John (31). Devotees believed that the idols belong to Kakatiya era, but there is no scientific evidence of the exact age of the idols.
Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said there was also no adequate security for the idols and they were kept in the small locked room. And there were no CCTV cameras on the temple premises. The theft came to light on October 28 and a case was registered at Maripeda police station.
According to police, Latchiram went to the temple for darshan recently and plotted to steal the antique panchaloha idols and sell it. He conducted a recce with Santosh and John and stole the idols. Based on a tip-off, SOT police nabbed them.
“While John stood guard outside in a car, Latchiram and Santosh entered the temple and stole the idols. Though they committed the theft, they had no knowledge of how to dispose of them. With no option to dispose of, they decided to melt the idols and extract gold from them,” Mahesh Bhagwat said. The three stolen idols and nine other idols, along with a car and other material, worth Rs 3 crore were seized.