Mangaluru: Mulki police have arrested four alleged interdistrict temple thieves in connection with the theft at the Kordabbu Daivasthana in Adi Killadi village of Kilpady, and recovered gold and silver ornaments and vehicles worth Rs 17.2 lakh.City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH stated that the theft took place around midnight on Sept 1, when the lock on the main door of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple was broken, and valuable idols and gold ornaments belonging to the Kordabbu Daiva were stolen. A case was registered at Mulki police station under Sections 331(3), 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The arrested persons have been identified as Zaheed Sinan,36, from Padubidri, Udupi district, and Yaseen,36, from Karkala taluk, Udupi district, who were arrested on Sept 6 and Mohammed Afridi,26, from Chalavadikeri, Davangere, and SK Abdul Jumman,26, from Jalinagar, Davanagere, who were arrested on Sept 7.After producing the accused before a court and securing their police custody, investigators recovered 4.5 kg of silver articles and 34.8g of gold ornaments, together valued at around Rs 11.2 lakh. A motorcycle and a car allegedly used in the crime, valued around Rs 6 lakh, were also seized. The total value of the recovered items is estimated at Rs 17.2 lakh.The arrests helped police solve two other temple theft cases. These include the theft at Sri Mahalakshmi Mahaganapathi Temple at Kallapu, under Ullal police station limits, and the theft at Vyaghra Chamundeshwari Temple in Inna village under Padubidri police station limits in Udupi district. Investigation revealed that Zaheed Sinan, the first accused in the Mulki case, had been named in 18 cases registered at various police stations in Udupi, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Davangere and Mangaluru city.The operation was conducted under the leadership of Mangaluru North Subdivision ACP Sreekanth K Surathkal, police inspector Pramod Kumar and Mulki police station PSI Raghavendra Naik.
