KURNOOL:Maddikera police of Kurnool district arrested eight of nine treasure-hunters, who had vandalised the oldest temple at Maddikera agriculture lands on Sunday.
Briefing about the incident, the SP said that they had seized one JCB which was used to vandalize the main gate and pillars of the arch near Peddamma Ammavari temple of Maddikera village in Pathikonda circle police station limits on December 16. They also seized eight motorbikes and eight mobile phones from the accused, he added.
The apprehended accused have been identified as Dasari Venkatesh, native of Kundanagurti village in Chippagiri mandal, Mangali Venkateswarlu (RS Rangapuram village, Bethamcherla mandal), Pilleli Mareppa (Nakkanadoddi village, Guntakal mandal), Ojam Bhaskar Reddy (Chunchuyerragudi village, Krishnagiri mandal), Golla Peddaiah (Pulakurthi village, Kodumur mandal), Gadda Ramanjaneyulu (Nalladasaripalli village, Anantapur district), Barme Jayaramudu (Chippagiri mandal headquarters) and Sayad Fakruddin from Kothaburuju village in Dhone mandal.
The SP said that the accused excavated hidden treasures on the temple pillars and made a vain bid to find hidden treasure underneath the temple after digging at least ten feet. He said they had launched a manhunt for the ninth accused.
