3 weeks ago
Three Gujarat Men Arrested in Karnataka Temple Silver Idol Theft
Some thieves stole a very big silver statue from a temple in India.
The statue weighed 32 kilograms, about as much as a heavy suitcase.
Three men from a state called Gujarat are accused of the theft.
Before stealing it, they visited the temple once and looked around carefully.
They saw that the statue was not fixed to the floor, so it could be picked up easily.
One night, after everyone at the temple went to sleep, they took the statue away.
A few days later, they cut it into four pieces and melted the silver down.
Police worked for more than a month to catch them and stayed in a city called Ahmedabad for about fifteen days.
They recovered around 23 kilograms of solid silver and 4 more kilograms that had been cut into pieces.
One of the thieves had already been in trouble with police in other states before.
Three Gujarat natives — Suresh Kumar (51), Brahmar (35) and Indrajeet (33) — were arrested for the theft of a 32-kg silver idol from Karnataka's Pavada Basaveshwara Temple.
The idol, valued at approximately Rs 51.20 lakh, was stolen from the sanctum sanctorum during the night of July 5-6.
The accused had visited the temple in June for a recce and noticed the idol could be lifted out because it was not permanently fixed.
By July 8, the idol had been cut into four pieces and melted; police recovered about 23 kg of solid silver and 4 kg of cut pieces.
Prime accused Suresh Kumar has five criminal cases registered against him in Gujarat and Rajasthan; this is his first case in Karnataka.
- Who
- Three men from Gujarat — Suresh Kumar (51), Brahmar (35) and Indrajeet (33) — arrested by Vijayapura police.
- What
- Theft of a 32-kg silver idol of Sri Pavada Basaveshwara, valued at about Rs 51.20 lakh, which was cut into four pieces and melted.
- Where
- Pavada Basaveshwara Temple complex, Basarakod village, Muddebihal taluk, Vijayapura district, Karnataka.
- When
- Theft on the night of July 5-6; arrests announced on Friday, August 7, after over a month of investigation.
- Why
- The large, isolated temple outside the village was an easy target and the idol could be lifted out because it was not permanently fixed; the accused were searching for temples to rob.
Key facts
- Stolen item
- 32-kg silver idol of Sri Pavada Basaveshwara
- Idol value
- Approximately Rs 51.20 lakh
- Date of theft
- Night of July 5-6
- Location
- Basarakod village, Muddebihal taluk, Vijayapura district, Karnataka
- Accused
- Suresh Kumar (51), Brahmar (35), Indrajeet (33)
- Accused origin
- Gujarat
- Recovered silver
- About 23 kg of solid silver plus 4 kg of cut pieces
- Prior record of prime accused
- Five criminal cases in Gujarat and Rajasthan; first case in Karnataka
Quotes
Superintendent of Police Laxman B Nimbargi
Police officer leading the Vijayapura investigation
““On the night of the offence, after everyone at the temple had gone to sleep, they removed the idol. The offence took place on the night of the July 5 and 6 and by July 8, they had cut the idol into four pieces, melted it, and disposed of it.””
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