Theft Case of Thumbe Mahalingeshwara Temple

Mangaluru : Police achieved a breakthrough in a theft case as personnel apprehended three suspects linked to the theft of silver ornaments valued at Rs. 1.25 lakh from Thumbe Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple near Mangaluru.

The suspects were identified as Prakash Babu alias Mohammed Niyaz (46) from Kollam, Kerala; Basheer K P alias Aakri Basheer (44) from Kasargod, Kerala; and F J Mohammed Ismail from Pudu village, Bantwal.

The arrest led to the recovery of the stolen ornaments and the vehicle used in the crime. Investigations revealed that Basheer is a habitual offender with 13 theft cases against him in various jurisdictions, while Prakash Babu has three prior cases of theft registered.

The burglary occurred on November 4, when the accused broke into the temple through the front door. They not only stole the silver ornaments but also took the DVR of the surveillance camera to erase evidence. A day earlier, a similar burglary was reported at Sri Ravalanath Temple in Sujeer, which is around five kilometres away from Thumbe.

A special team was constituted to investigate the incidents under the direction of Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Yatish N. The operation was led by the Bantwal police personnel.