Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Oct 24: The city crime branch police personnel from Mangaluru have succeeded in cracking a case of theft at the ancient Sri Shantinatha Swami Jain Shrine at Purushagudde, Kutloor near Naravi, under the jurisdiction of Venoor police station. The theft, in which ornaments and valuables worth lacs of rupees were taken away, had occurred on the night of August 27.

The theft at this 800-year-old Basadi had come to light when the Purohit reached there the next day for routine puja.

File photo

The arrested accused are Muhammed Rafiq (26) from Arukula village near B C Road, Afreem Shiyad (19) from Farangipet, Kaushik Nihal (19), a resident of Volachil, and Ummer Farooq Irfan (19), from Katipalla second block near Suratkal.

It is gathered that the arrested thieves were also involved with several cases of chain snatching and theft of motor bikes. In many cases, their modus operandi was to pick houses where women are found alone, and either stealing from such houses or decamping after snatching chains found in the necks of women. After stealing motor bikes, they used to replace the number plates with fake ones. The policemen say that they have gathered information that these youngsters used such motor bikes for committing thefts in temples, Basadis, shops, and other business establishments.

As of now, a Karimani and other ornaments worth Rs 6 lac, cell phone, and motor bikes worth Rs 9 lac, have been recovered.

The police team led by inspector, Valentine D'Souza, took them into custody relating to theft of ornaments from a house inhabited by a single woman. During their interrogation, policemen stumbled upon information of their involvement with theft at Basadi.

District superintendent of police, Dr S D Sharanappa, assistant superintendent of police, Rahul Kumar, police circle inspector, B R Lingappa, Venoor station house officer, Vinayaka Baillava, and others had visited the Basadi after the said theft and got involved with investigation, and efforts were made to identify the thieves with the help of sniffer dogs and finger print experts. The thieves had succeeded in evading identification till now.