Six held for alleged sale of fake panchaloha idol

Metro India News | Hyderabad

Six persons were apprehended by the Commissioner’s Task Force, Jubilee Hills Zone team, along with Mailardevpally police, for allegedly attempting to sell a fake Panchaloha idol of Goddess Lakshmi and a stone by making claims about their special and fortune-bringing powers. The arrests were made on Saturday at Laxmiguda in Katedan. Police seized a fake Panchaloha Lakshmi idol, a pink-colored stone, an Ertiga vehicle, five mobile phones, three bottles containing unidentified liquid and two red towels from the accused.

The arrested persons were identified as Kethavath Raju alias Katappa from Mahabubnagar district; Vadathya Kumar from Laxmiguda; Praveen Singh from Madhuban Colony, Katedan; Mangali Basava Naresh from Laxmiguda; P. Narsimha from Ibrahimpatnam and Challa Ravi from Cheerlavancha in Rajanna Sircilla district. According to police, Narsimha had allegedly been deceived by Ravi, Kondapelli Bikshapathi and others from Vemulawada and obtained the purported idol in 2024 for Rs 10 lakh.

Narsimha subsequently handed over the idol to Vadathya Kumar, following which Narsimha, Kumar, Raju, Praveen Singh and Basava Naresh allegedly formed a group to identify prospective buyers and sell the idol at a higher price. Police said the accused gathered at Laxmiguda on August 15 while allegedly attempting to find customers for the idol and the stone. The Task Force and Mailardevpally police intercepted them and seized the items under due procedure. The operation was carried out by the Commissioner’s Task Force, Jubilee Hills Zone team under Inspector Ch. Yadendar and Sub-Inspector G. Sandeep Reddy and their team, in coordination with Mailardevpally police. The action was reported by Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissioner’s Task Force, Hyderabad.