Three arrested in Polamamba temple burglary case

The police commissioner said this was one of the toughest cases as there were no clues after the accused damaged CCTVs and took away hard disks of the video footage.
City police commissioner Manish Kumar Sinha showing implements used by the accused in temple theft in Visakhapatnam on Thursday | express
City police commissioner Manish Kumar Sinha showing implements used by the accused in temple theft in Visakhapatnam on Thursday | express

VISAKHAPATNAM: Vizag police said they have cracked the mystery behind the major burglary at Karakachettu Polamamba temple, near Peda Waltair, with the arrest of three persons, including a juvenile. Addressing the media here on Thursday, city police commissioner Manish Kumar Sinha said the three accused--P Umesh (43) and his two sons, one aged 19 and the other 16--are from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu. 

As per complaint lodged by temple executive officer M Neelima on March 21, gold ornaments weighing 248 grams, silver ornaments weighing 4.128 kgs and  cash worth `3.25 lakh from the hundi were looted from the temple. He said a team of police led by CI Simhadri Naidu arrested the accused and recovered the stolen property.

The theft occurred in the wee hours of March 21. Though there were no clues the police, with the help of implements and CCTV DVR abandoned by the accused, tracked a shop in Porna Market from where the accused purchased the tools. The only clue they could get was photographs of the accused caught in CCTV of the shop. With the help of the photos and information gathered from autorickshaw drivers that the accused came from KGH, the police located the hotel where the accused stayed. 

The police commissioner said this was one of the toughest cases as there were no clues after the accused damaged CCTVs and took away hard disks of the video footage. “However, the CCTV at Poorna market shop helped the police get a lead in the case. The accused had spent almost one and a half hours in the temple after gaining entry through the rear side. They got keys of an almirah inside the temple from the temple office room. They took away gold ornaments and cash and other offerings from the hundi after breaking it open.”While Umesh and his 19-year-old son were arrested and sent to remand, and the minor was sent to a juvenile home. 

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