Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Jul 29: Personnel of the police station here have succeeded in arresting two persons who reportedly were involved with over 30 cases of thefts in temples and churches in coastal Karnataka. The arrested duo happen to be Umesh B N (30) from Banasandra Palya in Turuvekere taluk, Tumakuru district, and Venkatesh (38) of Gerupalya in Kumbalagodu, Bengaluru. Gold ornaments have been seized from the arrested accused.

However, main accused, Naveen from Bengaluru, has succeeded in evading arrest.

When the police were checking vehicles at Charmady police check post at around 5 pm on Thursday, they saw two persons coming from the direction of Chikkamagaluru in two two-wheelers. Even after the police signalled the vehicles to stop, the riders tried to escape. The police then chased and nabbed them.

Five motor bikes including Bullet, KTM Duke and Pulsar, several gold and silver ornaments, inverter battery, pen drives, note counting machine, cell phones, LCDs, tab, school bags, jerkin, jacket, shirts and trousers, luggage bag and over 70 other items were seized from the accused.

During the police investigation so far, about 30 cases involving the culprits have come out. The thefts relate to five cases registered in Dharmasthala station, six relating to Venoor, five in Punjalkatte, two cases in Kadaba, four in Uppinangady, three in Karkala rural, one in Hassan rural, one in Jnana Bharati Bengaluru, one in Harehalli police station, one case in Padubidri and another in Beltangady have been filed against them.

The accused were produced in court after which they were remanded to police custody. The operation was conducted by local police circle inspector, Nagesh Kadri and sub-inspector, Ravi B S, under the guidance of Dakshina Kannada district superintendent of police, Sudheer Kumar Reddy and Bantwal assistant superintendent of police, Dr Arun Kumar.