Nirmal police arrest four in 25 theft cases, recover 12 kg silver
Four persons arrested for 25 thefts in Nirmal; 12 kg silver, temple crowns, cash recovered from 16 cases.
The Nirmal police have arrested four persons allegedly involved in a series of temple thefts and house-breakings across the district. The accused have been identified as Marepeddi Rajashekhar (28), Gadchanda Rajeshwar (26), Kalgaddawar Srikanth (22), and Sara Saikiran (30).
Investigators recovered stolen property linked to 16 of the 25 cases, including 12 kg of silver ornaments, temple crowns, cash, and other valuables. The arrests were made by the 'Tigers Task Force', a special unit constituted by Superintendent of Police G. Janaki Sharmila to curb thefts in the district.
The team pieced together the cases using CCTV footage, technical evidence, and analysis of the suspects' movements and prior offences. Several thefts targeted temples, where the accused stole silver crowns and religious articles.
Recoveries include a main deity's crown, a processional deity's silver crown, and a Vinayaka crown from an Ayyappa temple. At the Shastrinagar Anjaneyaswamy temple, police recovered a silver crown, a Vinayaka crown, the deity's trunk and ears, and a silver necklace. A 1 kg crown was recovered from a Venkateswara Swamy temple in Mamada.
Other items recovered include silver padukas, plates, necklaces, waist chains, bangles, lamps, and 1,500 gm of silver bars from A.N. Reddy Colony and 10 tolas from Vadyal village. The trail extended into Andhra Pradesh, with 500 gm of silver bars recovered under Eluru III Town police station limits and 200 gm under Gannavaram police station limits.
Police also seized a Nissan Magnite car, a silver-melting machine, a gas pipe machine, and ₹67,000 in cash. Investigation into the remaining nine cases is ongoing, and the task force will continue surveillance to prevent further thefts targeting temples, houses, and shops.