HYDERABAD: An antique Panchaloha Buddha idol was seized and 11 persons involved in selling it were arrested near the bus stand in Suryapet on Monday.
The idol weighing 26.3 kg along with a cash counting machine, a car and 11 cell phones were seized from the possession of the accused by the CCS police along with Suryapet Town cops based on a specific tip. The man who was in possession of the idol had struck a deal to sell it for Rs 30 lakh, while the buyers down the line were looking at reselling it for anywhere between Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore, police said.
“We have informed archaeology experts from the state government about the seized idol. Once they examine the idol and give a report pertaining to its antique value, we will furnish the same before the court,” Suryapet SP S Rajendra Prasad said.
The arrested accused are M Venu Gopal (42), businessman; K Venkata Naga Narsimha Rao (48), businessman; R Purushotham (37), businessman; Ch Naveen Babu, driver; Ch Bhanu Prakash (36), private worker; Md Younus (52), TV mechanic; K Chennaiah (68), retiree; K Laxmi Narayana, driver; U Sravan Kumar (23), driver; Sk Nagul Meera (49), driver; and N Srikanth (29), a labourer from Andhra Pradesh.
The main accused, M Venu Gopal, who is a businessman from Nandigama town in Krishna district, had bought the Panchaloha Buddha idol five years ago from an unknown person in Piduguralla area of Guntur district for Rs 5 lakh.
“Venu Gopal purchased it believing that its presence in the house will bring him prosperity. However, when financially his condition did not improve, he decided to sell it to Narsimha Rao for Rs 30 lakh,” the SP said.
Narsimha Rao along with his associates struck a deal with Md Younus to sell the same for Rs 1 crore and Younus in turn was in discussion with Chennaiah and others to sell the idol for Rs 2 crore.
“All the accused wanted to meet at a neutral place to finalise the deals. They agreed to meet in Suryapet and we arrested them while they were deliberating on the mode of payment,” the SP said.
