The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Temple theft: two arrested

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Friday, Oct 27, 2006
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Temple theft: two arrested

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: The Rural police have arrested two persons suspected to be responsible for at least 24 recent burglaries at different religious places of worship in the State. The accused were identified as Rafiq, 30, of Sasthavattom, and Suresh Kumar, 40, of Mangalapuram.

Circle Inspector A. Pramod Kumar said a valuable `panchaloha' idol reported stolen from the Ayyappa Swamy Temple in Attingal early this week was recovered from the accused when they were arrested for drunken driving on Wednesday night.

The CI said the accused specialised in breaking into temples and churches at night. Posing as devotees, the accused would study the lay out of the temple in the morning and break in at night, he said. The police said the accused were in constant contact with certain people suspected to be middlemen of antique collectors.

Often, `panchaloha' idols were sold for Rs.20,000 and upwards, depending upon the antiquity.

The accused were also suspected to be responsible for the theft of silverware from Holy Cross Church at Murkumpuzha. The CI said the theft of gold ornaments from temples in Pallippuram, Kottayam and some other districts have been traced back to the accused. DySP, Attingal, B. Sasidharan led the investigation team. The arrested were produced before the court and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.

Traders stabbed

A 40-year-old man posing as a police officer stabbed two traders at the Attukal Shopping Complex on Thursday afternoon.

The police identified the accused as Vikraman Nair, a resident of Vattiyoorkavu. According to the police, the accused demanded Rs.10,000 from the owners of Twinkle Collections.

The police case is that Vikraman stabbed the owners of the store and damaged shop property when the traders refused to heed his demand. The traders, Shabir and Salim, were admitted to a private hospital.

The condition of Shabir was reported to be serious. Other traders in the complex caught and handed over the accused to the police. Vikraman was later produced before the court on the charge of attempt to murder and drunken and riotous behaviour. He was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.

Fake passport

The Airport Emigration authorities on Thursday detained a native of Bihar on the charge of using a fake passport to enter India from his workplace in Bahrain.

The police identified the accused as Faisul Haq. According to the police, Faisul's employer had denied him the Non-Resident Indian leave, forcing him to procure a fake passport to travel to India to attend his wife's delivery.

The accused told the police that his visa and passport was in the custody of the employer. He was produced before the court on the charge of violating the Indian Passport Act and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.

Two held

The city police have arrested three persons in connection with the attack on two youth at Kakkode in Kowdiar last week. Circle Inspector, Peroorkada, M. Radhakrishnan Nair identified the accused as Sreekumar, 34, of Kanjirampara Harijan Colony; Shyam, 25, of Karakulam; and Ratheesh Kumar, 28, of Kudappanakunnu.

They were produced before the court on the charge of attempt to murder and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.

Burglary: one held

The Venjaranmoodu police have arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with two recent burglary cases in the area. The accused was identified as Ramesh. He was remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.

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