Khammam, July 20 : The V. M. Banjar police arrested three notorious inter-state thieves involved in a string of temple burglaries across Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Andhra Pradesh.
According to the police, the accused were identified as Shaik Johny alias Johny Shreef, Perala Narasimha Rao alias Bobby, and Arva Uday Kumar, who were intercepted near the Sitarampuram Greenfield Highway. Acting on a tip-off, police caught them while they were traveling in a car and a motorcycle to Thiruvoor to sell the stolen property.
Following a confession under the presence of witnesses, police recovered 24 grams of gold, 1.536 kilograms of silver ornaments, and seized both vehicles alongside break-in tools, including an iron rod, hammer, cutting pliers, and a screwdriver.
Investigators revealed that all three suspects are repeat offenders with multiple active cases. Shaik Johny and Uday Kumar were previously booked in a dacoity case at Laxmidevipalli, while Johny faces house burglary charges across Kothagudem, Palvancha, and Yellandu. Narasimha Rao has five theft cases against him in LB Nagar (Hyderabad) and multiple temple burglary charges in Mulakalapalli, Nelakondapalli, and Gokavaram.
The gang admitted to targeting seven different shrines between June 27 and July 10, 2026, siphoning off gold ornaments, silver crowns, silver eyes, and necklaces from prominent local temples. Following the breakthrough under Crime No. 123/2026, the police department has strongly urged temple committees across the mandal to promptly install CCTV cameras and beef up safety protocols to prevent future thefts.
Keywords : Temple Burglaries, Arrests, Inter-State Thieves, Recovery, Khammam, Gold and Silver, Intercepted, V.M. Banjar
About the Author
