Tirupati:Tirupati Urban Police on Tuesday produced the thief of Govindaraja Swamy temple crowns before media, which happened on February 2, 2019.
According to Urban SP KKN Anbu Rajan, the accused Akash Prathap Sarody(25) a native of Swapna Bhoom Nagar in Khandar Taluk of Nanded district of Maharashtra was accustomed to lowlife, came to Tirupati on February 2 for committing thefts at bus stand and railway stations.
As he did not find any chances for theft, he came to Govindaraja Swamy temple for darsan and in return a thought of thievery cropped in his mind at Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy temple, a sub temple of Govindaraja Swamy main temple, where crowd usually was less.
By 1730 hrs, he got a chance to theft processional deities' crowns, belonged to Sri Devi, Bhudevi and Venkateswara Swamy idols, when the priest of the temple went to neighboring temple located in the same compound without closing the temple doors in view of visiting devotees.
The accused entered into the temple and took three gold crowns from idols, weighing about 1351 grams.
After that he reached Renigunta railway station from where he went to Chennai. Later, he was found in Nanded.(UNI)