TIRUPATI:
Anantapur
district police wing arrested 18 treasure hunters in connection with separate illegal excavation incidents reported at various places across the district on Friday.
Two earthmovers, eight bikes, metal detectors and various other equipment used by the treasure hunters were also seized by the police.
Briefing reporters about the arrests,
Anantapur SP
Dr Kaginelli Fakeerappa said that 18 persons including seasoned offenders and interstate gangs were arrested by the Kanaganapalli, Roddam and Yadiki police during raids carried out at multiple locations.
Anantapur SP told reporters that there were rumours about a possible hidden treasure beneath a huge boulder that exists in an extent of 1.5 acres of land which belongs to Kesavayya and Nagaraju, who belong to Daduluru village in
Kanaganapalli Mandal
.
Four persons identified as A Sabarish (26), Pavan Kumar (21),
K Nagendra
(23), Parandhama (32) who roped in an earthmover and tried to dig up the place were arrested by the police on Friday.
In the second incident reported at Roddam police station limits, there have been rumours about possible hidden treasures at Roddakampalli village where an undeciphered inscription was found. People here believe that villages during Vijayanagara emperor Srikrishna Devaraya had existed around Roddakampalli village.
A village local identified as Narasimhulu approached one of his friends identified as KN Narayana, a resident of Pavgada Taluk in Tumkur district of Karnataka and briefed him about the possible hidden treasure.
KN Narayana and his gang who tried to dig up at several spots at the Roddakampalli village using an earthmover and various other equipment were arrested by the Roddam police on Friday. The other accused were identified as GS Krishna Reddy (49), V Rajaiah (52), Mohammed Iqbal (52), Nagaraju (39), R Eswarappa (60).
Meanwhile, Yadiki police arrested eight persons who illegally carried out excavations around the Sunkalamma temple near Kundanakota in
Yadiki Mandal
on Friday. The masterminds behind these excavations who were arrested by the police were identified as K Venkata Satyanarayana Murthy (48), B Venkata Narayana (38), K Sharif Ahmed (40).
The three-member gang used metal detectors to detect the possible presence of precious metals at the pre-marked excavation sites.
Police also arrested five others who were hired by the trio.
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