Guntur: Guntur police on Thursday arrested five persons, including a woman in three separate cases and recovered one car, gold ornaments and decorative silver and gold ornaments of temples. Addressing a press meet at Guntur on Thursday Guntur urban SP Ch. Vijaya Rao stated that in the first case the police arrested N. Maria Babu of Bodhanampadu of Kurichedu of Prakasam district and recovered 6 grams gold and 2,500 grams silver ornaments worth Rs 1.50 lakh.
He said that habituated to vice, Maria Babu stole silver and gold decorative ornaments from idols in temples at Addanki, Darsi, Kurichedu, Cumbham, Ongole and elsewhere and had been sent to jail in various cases. After his release from jail, Maria Babu came to Guntur and stole silver ornaments from the Anjaneyaswamy temple at Lalapeta and two other temples in Ravela of Tadikonda mandal.
The police formed special teams to curb thefts in temples. CCS DSPs P Srinivas and Kamalakar arrested Maria Babu at Tadikonda cross roads and recovered the ornaments. Mr Vijaya Rao said that in the second case, police arrested a woman Tonda Posamma belonging to Telagapamula of Gokavaram in East Godavari district who used to steal gold ornaments from passengers travelling in auto rickshaws. He said the Posamma used to travel in auto rickshaws and buses and steal the ornaments from the bags of other passengers by diverting their attention.
He said that Posamma stole gold ornaments from a woman passenger at Market Centre of Guntur, and a mnagalsutra and other gold ornaments from two women at Guntur bus stand, besides a gold chain and rings from a bag kept in an auto rickshaw travelling from Mangalagiri to Guntur. The SP said the police arrested Posamma at Lalapeta flower market and recovered booty worth Rs 6 lakh.
Mr Vijaya Rao said that in the third case the police arrested three persons and recovered one car that was stolen at Peda Kakani. He said that the police arrested Mari Mutthu from Tadikombu village of Mudrai in Tamil Nadu, N. Lakshana Murthy of old Gajuvaka of Vishakapatnam and M. Mani while they were trying to sell the stolen car at Ongole. The police is searching for one Raj Pandey. The SP praised the police teams for the arrests.
