The Ernakulam rural police have arrested three men in connection with the theft of items worth lakhs from a temple in Cheriyappilly, North Paravur. The arrested individuals are Ramjan Sarkar (34), Sahinur Islam (34), and Bappan Mandal (26), all hailing from Murshidabad, West Bengal.
The stolen items include a Panchaloha lamp valued at Rs2 lakh, eight large lamps, 30 small lamps, a hundial containing gold, silver coins, and cash, four brass pots, a hanging lamp, and over 10 vessels. The theft occurred on the night of May 5.
According to the police, the accused used to scout the temple locations during the day, posing as scrap collectors, before returning at night to carry out the thefts.
The investigation team, led by Munambam DSP S Jayakrishnan and North Paravur station inspector Shojo Varghese, made the arrests after extensive efforts. Other officers involved in the investigation include SIs KU Shine, MM Manoj, Biju, and ASIs KS Biju, Ansar, Lohithakshan, along with civil police officers Reji, Krishnalal, and Vishnu.
The investigation is ongoing, and the police are working to recover the remaining stolen items.
