Police arrest three for multiple temple thefts in Sri Sathya Sai district

The Dharmavaram police on Wednesday arrested a three-member gang reportedly involved in a series of temple thefts in Sri Sathya Sai district, uncovering seven cases.Addressing the media here, Superintendent of Police (SP) S. Satish Kumar said that the accused were identified as Silla Nagaraju (50), Chintakayala Naveen Kumar (25) and Silla Shiva (18), all of whom belong to Sri Sathya Sai district. Following a surge in public complaints, a special police team was formed to track down the accused, who were arrested near SLV Rice Mill at Kamireddypalli cross in Kunuturu.The police recovered stolen property worth ₹20.35 lakh, including 6.75 kg silver articles worth ₹18.9 lakh, 40 kg brass articles, a drum and amplifiers. A cutter and three vehicles allegedly used to commit the crime were also seized.According to the police, the gang reportedly targeted temples in Dharmavaram Rural, Bathalapalli and Kanaganapalli limits at night.Meanwhile, the SP urged the public and administrators of various temples to secure valuables and install CCTV cameras on their premises. Published - September 09, 2026 06:49 pm IST