Gang trying to sell 'mystical' idol held
DSP P Anil presenting the accused before media on Thursday
Vizianagaram: A gang, which was trying to sell idol, claiming that it has magical power was arrested by the police here on Thursday.
According to the district DSP P Anil, the accused were identified as
R Srinivasa Rao and R Ramasatyam natives of Vizianagaram, P Venkata Rao, a resident of Vizag city and Divakar Kiran Kumar of Chhattisgarh.
The DSP said that the gang used to identify the financially broke or debt-ridden and convince them that the idol has magical power which will bring luck and wealth. Then they quote high price and sell them at convenient price.
The four members of the gang approached Kalla Mahesh, a native of Nellimarla in Vizianagaram and convinced him that they have a deity idol with magical powers and offered to sell it at Rs 5 lakh.
They asked Mahesh to pay an advance of Rs 20,000 to see the idol and another Rs 2 lakh to test the magical powers of the idol. The police said that on May 27, 2021, Mahesh was asked to come to VT Agraharam where he paid them Rs20,000 as advance.
On August 10, 2021, he approached the gang to buy the idol, but the gang showed him an antique statue of a statue of soldier from the East India regime-1818 and claimed that statue possess magical power. Mahesh, who expected a deity idol, was disappointed after seeing the statue and asked for the deity idol. During this, there was a difference between the gang and Mahesh. Realising he was cheated, Mahesh approached the Vizianagaram Rural Police on the same day. The police nabbed four members of the gang and seized the statue of a soldier along with a car.
The police launched a manhunt for one more accused Narayana Rao, the DSP stated.