A suspected theft of a Hanuman idol near the sacred Tirumala hills in Andhra Pradesh triggered concern among devotees and drew questions from the opposition over safety and security arrangements in the temple town.
The Tirupati district police traced the accused, recovered the idol and made an arrest within 15 hours.
According to Tirupati district police, the incident took place around 3:00 am on July 22 near the large Anjaneya Swamy statue at the Seventh Mile on the Tirumala-Tirupati downhill ghat road.
Contrary to initial reports suggesting that the main idol had been stolen, officials clarified that the missing idol was a small stone Hanuman idol, approximately one foot tall. The idol had reportedly been installed by devotees sometime after the year 2000 near the larger Anjaneya Swamy statue.
Police said CCTV footage showed a devotee carrying away the small idol.
The suspect was seen dressed in light yellow clothes and speaking in the Rayalaseema dialect of Telugu. He was carrying two mobile phones and a scarf but had no luggage.
Investigators found that he had boarded a jeep in Tirumala, got down near the Seventh Mile, spent some time near the shrine and later travelled towards the Alipiri footpath entrance.
Massive Search Operation Launched
Taking the incident seriously, Tirupati Superintendent of Police V Subbarayudu constituted 20 special teams in coordination with TTD Vigilance to trace the suspect.
A public lookout notice was also issued immediately, requesting people to share information and assuring complete confidentiality to informants.
Accused Tracked To Ongole City
Based on technical evidence, CCTV footage and field intelligence, the suspect was tracked and arrested by Railway Police at Ongole Railway Station in Prakasam district, nearly 250 km from Tirupati.
Police arrested the accused within 15 hours of the reported theft and recovered the idol.
Officials said the accused had been taken into custody and further investigation was underway to determine the motive behind the incident and whether he had acted alone.
The recovered idol will be handed over to temple authorities after the completion of legal formalities.
Political Reactions
The incident raised concerns over security in Tirumala, with the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) questioning the security arrangements in and around the temple town. The party alleged that repeated incidents reflect lapses in vigilance under the present government.
Meanwhile, the ruling NDA coalition led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) praised the police for their swift action in arresting the accused within 15 hours and recovering the idol. The coalition said the prompt investigation demonstrated the efficiency of law enforcement agencies.
