Temple theft gang held with gold and silver articles in Khammam

Penuballi police arrested a three-member gang allegedly involved in a series of temple thefts across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Police recovered gold, silver articles, a car and a motorcycle. The accused were reportedly on their way to sell the stolen valuables

Khammam: Penuballi police in the district arrested a three-member gang involved in thefts at various temples across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Kallur ACP Vasundhara Yadav said.

The gang members, Sheikh Jani alias Jani Sharif, Pearala Narasimha Rao alias Bobby and Arva Uday Kumar, are habitual offenders. Dacoity cases have been registered against Jani and Uday Kumar at Laxmidevipalli police station in Kothagudem district, the ACP said.

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Speaking to the media at VM Banjar police station on Monday, Vasundhara Yadav stated that the Sheikh Jani gang had committed numerous thefts over a period of time, targeting temples not only in Khammam and Kothagudem districts but also at several places in Andhra Pradesh.

The gang looted gold and silver articles from Hanuman Temple in Hanuman Basti of Kothagudem, Akkamma Temple at Uppalachelaka, another temple at Bayannagudem in Penuballi mandal, Anjaneyaswamy Temple at Ajanapuram in Tallada mandal, Hanuman Temple at Ganiya Thanda in Kallur mandal, Harikshetra Temple at Lingapalem in Vemsoor mandal, and Gangalamma Temple at Gokavaram in Andhra Pradesh.

The gang was nabbed near the Sitaramapuram Greenfield Highway while on its way to Tiruvuru in Andhra Pradesh to sell the gold and silver items stolen from the temples. Police seized 24 grams of gold, 1,536 grams of silver articles, a car, a motorcycle and other items from the gang.

Further, Jani was implicated in house burglary cases under the limits of Kothagudem Two Town, Paloncha and Yellandu police stations. Narasimha Rao was involved in five theft cases in Hyderabad’s LB Nagar area, as well as theft cases registered at Mulakalapalli, Nelakondapalli and Gokavaram police stations.