Facebook post helps nail temple thief

A social media Facebok post has helped the Nallakunta police in Hyderabad to solve three temple thefts and arrest the thief along with two property receivers and recovered four stolen idols from their possession.

The thief has been identified as P Srinivas, 48, from Ramnagar Gundu. In the past one month, posing as a devotee Srinivas had stolen two Hanuman idols, including a panchaloha idol from the Anjaneya temple in Adikemet, a panchaloha Sai Baba idol from the Sai temple in Ramnagar Gundu and a Ganesha panchaloha idol from Vijaya Ganapati temple in Chilakalguda.

"Srinivas used the con trick of diverting the attention of the priest and steal the idols," Nallakunta inspector V Jayapal Reddy said. The CCTV camera at Adikmet templehas caught the act of Srinivas the video of the theft were posted on the Nallakunta police station Facebook page. which gave the tip off about the offender and also provided details of his whereabouts .

Police then picked up Srinivas. who confessed to the crime and the police arrested two stolen property receivers, Yadgiri and Kishore from Secunderabad on Sunday and recovered all the stolen idols from their possession.