Four persons who tried to sell a Durga idol made of brass, claiming it to be a panchaloha idol and also a fake Nagamani stone for ₹ 1 crore, were apprehended by Hyderabad Police Commissioner’s Task Force (West Zone), in Kulsumpura on Tuesday. The original cost of the brass-silver idol is estimated to be around ₹ 10 lakh.
Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that the accused are B Devendar (40) a labourer; T John, a cook at JNTU Kukatpally; Mohd Ashraf (23) businessman at Tappachabutra; and Prem Chand Gupta (38), businessman in Ramkote.
The accused claimed that if prayers are offered by placing the ‘Nagamani’ on the deity’s palm, huge profits can be earned. Devender conspired with the three accused to sell the idol claiming it to be made of panchaloha. The Task Force team conducted a decoy operation and apprehended them on Tuesday while they were attempting to sell the idol and the stone.
In another case, the Task Force team nabbed three house burglars and recovered gold ornaments worth ₹ 10.1 lakh.
