Hyderabad: Two individuals accused of stealing idols, bells and other artefacts from temples, along with a scrap dealer who bought the goods, were apprehended by CCS LB Nagar and Ibrahimpatnam police on Wednesday, July 2.
The accused have been identified as Karacha Sivananda, 52, Shaik Ham Shareef, 38, and Akkapalli Kranthi Kumar, 31.
A total of 26 items worth Rs 5.36 lakh were recovered from them. The list of items included 12 idols made from panchaloha, silver and aluminium; six temple bells, three deepam stands made of brass and two steel hundis, and a Honda bike among other things.
According to the police, Sivananda and Shaik had come to Hyderabad to work as labourers. Sivananda had been living in a rented room at NGO Colony, Vanasthalipuram, for the past six months, while Shaik is homeless and roams around labour addas.
The two got acquainted at labour addas and decided to earn money by committing thefts in temples. The two started doing a recce in the villages of Yacharam and Ibrahimpatnam by hiring an auto.
The duo then committed thefts in multiple temples from February this year. Following their heists, the duo approached the Kranthi, a scrap dealer and procured Rs 18,500 from him.
Sivananda had previously been involved in theft cases in various police stations.
The accused were nabbed by the police at 8:30 am on Wednesday at Mangalpally X road following a tip-off.
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