Bantwal: Three arrested in Thumbe temple theft case

Bantwal: Police have successfully arrested three suspects involved in the theft at Thumbe Sri Mahalingeshwara Temple, located in the rural police station limits of Tumbe village.

The special investigation team of Dakshina Kannada district police nabbed three accused and recovered silver ornaments worth Rs 1.25 lakh and a car used in the crime.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Basheer K.P. alias Aakri Basheer (44) from Cheruvathur village, Kasaragod; Prakash Babu alias Muhammad Niyaz (46) from Kollam district, Kerala; and F.J. Muhammad Ismail from Pudu village, Bantwal taluk.

Basheer K.P. is a notorious criminal with 13 theft cases registered against him in various police stations. Prakash Babu alias Muhammad Niyaz has three theft cases pending against him.

Thieves Stole DVR to Cover Tracks

The accused broke into the temple through the front door on November 4 and stole ornaments. To cover their tracks, they took away the temple’s CCTV DVR. The day before, a similar theft occurred at Sri Ravalnath Temple in Farangipete, Sujir.

Considering the seriousness of these incidents, the police formed a special investigation team, which successfully apprehended the culprits.