Police have successfully cracked the Penta Shiva Temple theft case under Chandili police station in Rayagada district, arresting three accused and recovering stolen idols and valuables.
The theft occurred during the night of August 25–26, when miscreants broke open the temple lock and stole the metal idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, along with other puja items. The complaint was lodged by temple priest C.H. Nagaraju.
Acting on intelligence inputs, police arrested Manoj Durga and Paban Ganta of Nuapada, and Allu Harekrishna of Amlabhata. During interrogation, the trio confessed to the crime.
Recovered items include:
- Lord Shiva’s idol weighing 13.96 kg
- Goddess Parvati’s idol weighing 7.26 kg
- Brass Panchamukhi Naga idol weighing 5.62 kg
- Cash of Rs 1,250
- Broken brass and copper materials
Police also seized a yellow Piaggio auto (OD 18 C 3139) and a Bajaj Pulsar bike (AP 40 CK 3976) used in the theft.
Rayagada SDPO Gourahari Sahu, Chandili IIC Uttam Kumar Sahu, and other officers briefed the media in a press conference. All three accused have been forwarded to court.
