Father – Daughter specialized in Temple theft

Kanchi man, girl held for heist in 120 temples

http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/Kanchi-man-girl-held-for-heist-in-120-temples/343571.html

ERODE: Perundurai police, on Wednesday, arrested Thameem Ansari (45) and his sixteen year old daughter, of Kovalam in Kancheepuram district, for stealing jewels in several temples.

Their modus operandi was to go to Amman temples in a new two-wheeler and invite the priest outside to perform pooja for the vehicle.

When the priest comes out, the girl would go inside the  temple and steal the thaali (mangal sutra) of the deity, police said.

By this way, in the last nine months, they had burgled nearly 4.5 kg jewels from 120 temples. On Wednesday, when they came in a 2-wheeler at Vilekkethi Naal Road, police intercepted them on suspicion and during inquiry they confessed to having stolen jewels in temples.

Police also seized 250 gms of jewels, worth Rs 5 lakh, which the father-daughter duo had stolen from two temples at Modakurichi and Sivagiri and the vehicle.

S Panneerselvam, SP, said they were involved in thefts at temples in Madurantakam, Marakkanam, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Seerkazhi, Karaikal, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem, Namakkal, Tirupur and sold the stolen jewels at Rs 800 per gram.

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