JOIN USThe Karnataka police recovered miniature idols made of precious metals stolen from the Jain shrine in Moodabidri, about 37 km from Mangalore, from the Odisha capital on Saturday.
Also seized were 1.5 kg of gold ingots, gem stones and Rs 2 lakh in cash from a house at Chandrashekharpur here, the sources said. The recovery was valued at Rs three crore, they said.
“We have seized three idols and some gold ingots. The gold ingots were made after melting some idols,” the sources said.
The Bhubaneswar commissionerate of police helped its Mangalore counterpart in recovering the stolen items from the house of the father-in-law of Santosh Das, alias Ghanshyam Das, a peon in the State secretariat, who was absconding.
“Recovery of the stolen idols from the house of Das’ father-in-law has proved his involvement in the crime,” a member of the Karnataka police team said.
The police of both states did not divulge how they came to know about Das’ involvement in the theft.
The shrine’s CCTV camera had recorded a masked man in a black jacket entering the premises.
At least 15 idols made of gold and encrusted with pearls, precious stones and diamonds were stolen on the night of July 5 from Siddantha Mandir of Guru Basadi in Moodabidri, locally known as ‘Jain Kashi’.