Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Sep 10: The city police have arrested four members of a notorious inter-district gang in connection with the theft at the Kordabbu Daivasthana in Kilpady village, Mulki. The police seized stolen valuables and vehicles worth a total of Rs 17.20 lac from the accused.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Jahid Sinan (36) from Hejamadi in Padubidri, Yasin (36) from Nitte in Karkala, and Mohammad Afridi (26) and S K Abdul Jumman (26), both residents of Davanagere.
On the midnight of September 1, the thieves broke the lock of the main door of the sanctum sanctorum at the Aadi Killadi Kordabbu Daivasthana in Kilpady. They made away with valuable idols of the Daiva and gold ornaments. A case was subsequently registered at the Mulki police station.
Following the formation of a special investigation team, the police arrested Jahid Sinan and Yasin at Karnad in Mulki on September 6. The other two accused, Mahamad Afridi and S K Abdul Jumman, were traced and apprehended in Davanagere on September 7.
Upon securing police custody from the court, the investigating team recovered approximately 4.521 kg of silver and 34.820 grams of gold, estimated to be worth Rs 11.20 lac. A bike and a car used in the crime, valued at Rs 6 lac, were also confiscated, taking the total value of the seized assets to Rs 17.20 lac.
With these arrests, the police have also solved two other temple thefts: one at the Sri Mahalakshmi Mahaganapathi temple in Kallapu within the Ullal police station limits, and another at the Vyaghra Chamundeshwari temple in Inna village under the Padubidri police station limits in Udupi district.
Police investigations revealed that the prime accused, Jahid Sinan, is a habitual offender with 18 previous cases registered against him across various police stations in Udupi, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere, and Mangaluru city.
The successful detection and arrest operation was carried out under the guidance of Mangaluru North sub-division assistant commissioner of police Srikanth K, by Surathkal police inspector Pramod Kumar, Mulki police sub-inspector Raghavendra Nayak, and the personnel of the Mulki police station.