Police recover Rs 26 lakh worth of stolen temple ornaments
Hyderabad: Five of a seven-member gang were arrested for allegedly committing theft at Lord Venkateswara temple at Sardar Patel Nagar in KPHB, Kukatpally, ACP A. Ravi Kiran said in a press meet on Wednesday. Police recovered gold, silver and copper ornaments worth about Rs 26 lakh in connection with the burglary.
The arrested accused have been identified as Maharaju Mallikarjun, Dunnapothula Pawan Kalyan alias Kalyan, Dandi Anil Teja, Kambaru Vijay, and Thangila Manikantha Durga Prasad alias Akhil. Two other accused named in the case – Neelapu Neelaiah alias Anil and Bashya Venkat Mohith Kumar – are currently absconding.
According to police, the theft came to light after a complaint was lodged by the temple manager, Kandula Maruthi, on January 7. He stated that unknown persons after breaking open the door of the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple on the intervening night of January 6 and 7, had decamped with the gold and silver ornaments belonging to the temple.
Subsequently, a case was registered under Sections 331(4) and 305 r/w Section 3(5) of the BNS.
Police said that Neelapu Neelaiah is a habitual offender allegedly involved in 15 previous property thefts and robbery cases across Medchal, Shamirpet, Petbasheerabad, Genome Valley and Neredmet police station limits. Neelapu also had a robbery case registered against him at the Ameenpur police station in 2025, while Mohith Kumar was previously involved in NDPS cases, police said.
The accused decided to commit thefts at the temple and allegedly sought the assistance of others to dispose of some of the stolen property. Along with the stolen items, police also seized a two-wheeler and five mobile phones.
Around 200 CCTV cameras covering possible entry and exit routes were examined, and special teams were formed to trace the accused. Database verification and modus-operandi matching also helped in tracing the accused, police said.
