Siddipet police arrest man in series of temple bell thefts

Siddipet Rural police have arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with a string of temple thefts reported in villages under their jurisdiction. The accused, identified as Aasa Sudarshan, a driver from Rajakkapeta in Dubbaka mandal, was taken into custody on September 5 while allegedly preparing to strike again at the Yellamma temple in Burugupalli.

Police said Sudarshan had a prior record of motorcycle thefts across several districts and had been jailed multiple times. More recently, he worked as a water tanker driver in Hyderabad but sustained a fracture to his right leg in an accident. Left without steady income, he allegedly turned to targeting temples in rural areas where security was relatively lax.

According to investigators, on September 1, Sudarshan rode a black scooter to the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Nancharupalli village and stole two bells. He then went to the Irukodu Yellamma temple, where he used a wrench to remove both large and small bells and the donation box (hundi). He broke open the hundi, took the cash, and discarded the box in nearby fields.

The stolen bells were later sold at a scrap shop near Ponnala in Siddipet. On the night of September 4, he allegedly stole three bells from the Raghavapur Yellamma temple and two more from the Yellamma temple in Badanakal in Mustabad mandal. The following morning, he sold those bells at a scrap shop at Rangadhampalli crossroads.

Police recovered the stolen items within hours of the latest theft. Seized evidence includes a black Suzuki Avenis scooter (registration TS 10 FC 7843), a green helmet allegedly used to conceal his face, and the wrench used to break locks and remove bells.