VIJAYAWADA: Krishna district police and SIT on Friday arrested a seven-member inter-state gang involved in the desecration of the ancient Nandi idol at Makkapet Kasi Visweswara temple in Krishna district on September 16 last year.
Addressing the media, Krishna SP M Ravindranath Babu and SIT chief GVG Ashok Kumar said the accused were identified as Anukonda Srinivasulu (43), Chityala Krishnaiah (30), Aripirala Venkatapayya Sastri (30), Intaboyina Vijay (29) and Madhani Ramakrishna (30) — all from Telangana and stone traders Nageswara Rao and Gopala Rao.Ravindranath Babu said that the two of the accused — Srinivasulu and Krishnaiah — believe in superstitions and have contacts with various priests in two Telugu States.
After seeing a WhatsApp video, which claims that diamonds are hidden inside the Nandi idol of Makkapet Kasi Visweswara Temple, Srinivasulu approached his friend Venkateswara Sastry for confirmation. They also visited the temple to check security arrangements and roped in three other accused from Hyderabad, and hatched a plan to demolish the Nandi idol for diamonds. “The accused reached the temple premises on September 16 and damaged the ear of the idol and left the spot. Later, they stopped their car near Kodad and threw away the piece of the idol as there were no diamonds in it,” the SP explained.
Later, a temple priest told the accused that the diamonds exist in the spine of the Nandi idol and not in the ears. The gang returned to the place and found that temple officials replaced a new Nandi idol with the damaged one. They then enquired with the Kasi Visweswara temple priest Yugandhar Sharma about the whereabouts of the broken idol and introduced stone traders Nageswara Rao and Gopala Rao to gain his trust and urged him to hand over the idol to him.
“Yugandhar found their behaviour suspicious and informed Vatsavai police immediately. A team led by SI Someswara Rao traced the gang and arrested them. The police also seized the tools used for the offence, including a hammer, a drilling machine, a crowbar and two gas cutters. From their mobile phones, we found videos they took during their recce,” Ravindranath Babu said, adding that the gang conducted recce in nine temples in two Telugu States.
He also said the gang members have connection with more than 300 treasure seekers. “Based on the clues, we alerted district heads in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to keep an eye on the treasure hunters and persons arrested for committing similar offences. Several gangs are on the prowl and this is a sensitive issue,” the SP observed.
Police said that all of them have been booked under Sections 447, 427, 295, 295A and 153 of the IPC and Section 20 of the Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878 for tresspassing and idol desecration. The accused were produced in the local district sessions court, which sent them to judicial remand.
“Three special teams were formed to nab the absconding gang members. We suspect the role of previous offenders who gave information about the Nandi idol to Srinivasulu and Krishnaiah,” said the police.
SIT chief GVG Ashok Kumar requested public not to believe in rumours being spread on social media and warned that stringent action would be initiated against those who spread unverified news, creating panic among public. “People should alert the police immediately if they find anyone moving suspiciously or spreading false news,” he added.