Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Dec 9: Surathkal police and city crime branch sleuths arrested 4 persons in connection to 13 temple and 7 house theft cases.
The arrested are identified as Naga Nayak (55) from Tharikere Chikkamagaluru and Maruthi C V (33) from Davanagere.
The accused were involved in 13 temple theft and 3 house theft cases. The temple and house thefts took place from 2018 to 2021.
Naga Nayak, allegedly wanted in several incidents, had many cases filed against him under Urwa, Bajpe, Surathkal, Mulki, Panambur, Kavoor and Ullal police station limits. Several cases have been filed against him in other districts as well. Naga Nayak has stored the stolen items in a jewellery shop belonging to Maruthi. They both had planned to dispose the same. Maruthi owned the jewellery shop in Davanagere and he used to sell the stolen jewellery through his shop.
Jewellery worth Rs 6,86,000 from house theft was seized. Rs 18 lac worth 406 gram gold jewellery and Rs 10.40 lac worth 16 kg silver articles were seized from the jewellery shop of Maruthi and residence of Naga Nayak. The total worth of the seized items was Rs 28,40,000.
The accused targeted temples and Daivasthanas where there were no security and CCTV cameras. They used to target houses during the monsoon and also at places where there were public events in the night, so that they could easily burgle houses.
The house theft cases registered against Naga Nayak include Kavoor Panjimogaru in 2020, and Mulky Bappanadu and Ashoknagar Urwa in 2021.
The temple theft cases are Maatha Chowdeshwari temple Ashoknagar in 2018, Rama Mandira Yedapadav 2019, Kulai Panduranga Bajana Mandira and Kulai Kalurti Panjurli Daivasthana in 2020, Hosabettu Kalurti Panjurli Daivasthana, Hosabettu Vartheshwari Daivasthana, Kulai Daivasthana, Kavina Kallu Daivasthana, Baikampady Daivasthana, Haleyangadi Durga Parameshwari temple, Derebail Renuka Yellama temple, Kotekar Ayyappa Swamy temple and Kulai Doomavathi Daivasthana in 2021.
Two persons were arrested by Surathkal police in connection to four house theft cases in Kulai, Kana, Hosabettu and Kadambodi in 2021.
The arrested are identified as Rajan Chinna Thambi (57) from Coimbatore and P B Pramod. A total 366.632 grams gold worth Rs 16,50,000 was seized from the possession of the accused.
Rajan was keeping the stolen jewellery in a house belonging to P B Pramod in Bengaluru. Rajan is wanted in several interstate cases. He has cases in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
When asked about suicide case at Morgans Gate, police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, “Four people including 2 children ended their lives at Morgans gate. In the death note, it was mentioned that a lady named Noor Jaan was the reason for the extreme step. Nagesh alleged that Noor Jaan was involved in the conversion of his wife.
“Due to domestic violence, Vijayalakshmi had left her house. Even a missing complaint was filed. Later, the issue was sorted out.
“A case under section 306 has been. Noor Jaan was interrogated where we did not get a clear cut breakthrough about conversion. During the probe, we came to know that Vijayalakshmi also informed a few people that she wanted divorce from her husband. In addition, husband Nagesh had also asked the house owner to look for a lawyer for separation from his wife,” he said.