LUCKNOW: Taking advantage of gymnastic features of his body Pradeep aka Kalia had slithered in the 150-year-old Anandi Devi temple in Chowk area of Lucknow through the small space at top portion of the gate and decamped with valuables worth lakhs four days ago.
Pradeep's arrest from Sitapur came after a four-day long manhunt on Saturday. Police also recovered a silver crown, a gold nose chain and money from a donation box worth Rs 36, 171.
ADCP West Zone, CN Sinha, told TOI that during investigation they got CCTV footage in which his image appeared, and police traced his name through human intelligence.
"Later, a team conducted a raid at his Sitapur house where the stolen ornaments of the gold were recovered. He had hidden the valuables on the roof of the raunch house," said Sinha.
To recall, in the wee hours of October 11, an unidentified man broke into 150-year-old Anandi Devi temple in Chowk and decamped with the silver crown of the deity, gold-plated face of the idol and cash from the donation box.
Chowk police station is about 20m from the temple and a police outpost also in the neighbourhood, but cops got no whiff till morning when temple authorities called UP112.
