The Kurnool police have cracked a series of thefts committed at six temples and one house in the district in the recent past, taking the help of CCTV footage. All the persons allegedly involved in those crimes have been arrested and the stolen properties recovered.
Superintendent of Police Fakkeerappa Kaginelli told the media on Tuesday said that several teams were formed to probe into the thefts. “With the help of CCTV footage gathered from the temples at Veldurthi, Gonegandla, Halahavri, and a house in Gudur, the accused were identified and arrested ,” he said. Three persons were arrested on charge of stealing from the Veldurthi Thikkaratha Swamy temple, the Ayyappaswamy temple, and Yellamma Thalli temple on March 1 midnight. Probe teams led by Dhone Circle Inspector O. Maheswar Reddy and Veldurthi SI Peddayya Naidu solved the case within 28 days.
One Pagidyala Subbarayudu (28) from Kadapa district, Nagaluri Adinarayana (35), Nagaluri Janayya (24), Gurnadham Gangaraju (24), Nagaluri Yesebu (18), and Gurnadham Anjaneyulu (22) allegedly committed theft in three temples. Upon the arrest of Subbaryudu, he gave the information about other accused and two of them —Adinarayana and Janayya—were arrested. The police recovered ₹4,000 cash and a dagger.
On March 22, cash was stolen from the hundis of Kasi Neelakantheswara Swamy and Chintalamuni Swamy temples at Gonegandla village. The police arrested Nagaluru Adinarayana (35) and Nagaluru Janayya (24), both hailing from Ontimitta. The police recovered ₹36,448 and a motorcycle.
At Halahavri Belagutta Basaveswara Swamy temple, three hundis were broken and cash was stolen. The police recovered ₹60,400, a motorcycle and the stolen jewellery made of panchaloha (70 grams) and silver (80 grams). Nagaluri Chinna Venkatesh (27) and Gurunadham Yedukondalu (27) were arrested
In a house-breaking incident at Gudur, Jahangir (45) was arrested from Gudipadu village in Telangana, and ₹16 lakh in cash, silver ornaments worth ₹35,000 worth and a cellphone were recovered.
The lock of the main door of Shaik Nazeer’s house was tampered with and ₹17 lakh cash stored in a plastic bucket in the house and other material were stolen, according to a complaint lodged by the victim.
A team led by Kodumuru Circle Inspector recovered 10 tolas of gold coin and 18.5 tolas of gold ornament found the accused, which were allegedly stolen in 10 different thefts taken place in Gadwal and Pebbair in Telangana. The SP said that the gold would be handed over to the Telangana Police through the court in due course.
