Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Nov 6: Relating to the thefts from temples spread across different districts, the district police have succeeded in arresting an accused from Shivamogga district. Relating to these incidents, three have already been arrested.

The person, who has now been taken into custody, has been identified as Chand Pasha (23), a resident of Begum Mohalla in Sira taluk, Tumakuru district. He has been accused of stealing things from temples at Harikhandige, Belman, and Adapady.

Basavaraju alias Raju from Arodi in Doddaballapur, Muhammed Shabbir alias Shabbir (20) from Sira in Tumakuru district, and Fairoze alias Fairoze Pasha (22) from Sira, had been arrested by the personnel of district crime intelligence bureau a week back, relating to temple thefts.

The police team is now looking for the fifth accused, Rehamat from Tumakuru.

It is gathered that these thieves used to watch early morning programmes beamed by some channels in which different temples are introduced to the audiences. They then went in search of these temples, and if they found that any of them were located away from populated areas in isolated areas, they drew plans to burgle such temples. They used to visit these temples in the guise of devotees, got pujas performed, sat in a corner, and acted as if they were reading spiritual books. By paying to the priests liberally and getting pujas performed again, they used to earn the confidence of the priests. Once the priests left, they opened the doors of temples by trying different duplicate keys in their possession, and ran away with donation boxes and whatever valuables they could lay their hands on. The police say they were involved with eight thefts in this district and four in Tumakuru.