Warangal: ‘Panchaloha’ idol-lifters held

Warangal: The district police on Thursday arrested two persons and recovered from them two precious ‘panchaloha’ idols the market value of which was said to be Rs.1 crore. They also recovered Rs 50,000 worth silver ornaments from them. Rural Superintendent of Police Lella Kalidas told press persons here that the police caught a vehicle at Regonda, in the district, during the search operations. They found the idols in the possession of three persons.

The police stopped the trio and questioned them during which one Tella Satish escaped, while the two, identified as Chinthala Raju of Bheemaram (Hanamkonda) and Marigela Somaiah of Motkur, in Nalgonda district, were arrested. The duo had joined hands with the main accused, Satish of Chalvai village of Govindaraopet, in Warangal district.

They had broken into old temples to lift idols. They had lifted the two idols from Gundala, in Nalgonda district, and in temples of Regonda, Lingala Ghanpur and Cheriyal mandals, in the district. At the time of the arrest, the accused were said to be taking the idols for sale in Hanamkonda.