Six arrested for attempting to sell fake Panchaloha Lakshmi idol, stone in Hyderabad
Hyderabad police arrested six individuals for attempting to sell a fake Panchaloha idol and a stone by falsely claiming they possessed divine powers. The group had been operating a scam involving the sale of these items for a high profit.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ongoing issue of superstitious fraud and the exploitation of public belief for financial gain.
Six persons, including an astrologer, were arrested while they were attempting to sell a fake Panchaloha idol of Goddess Lakshmi and a stone by claiming that they possessed divine and fortune-bringing powers, the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force said on Sunday.
The Jubilee Hills Zone Task Force, along with Mailardevpally police, apprehended the six at Laxmiguda in Katedan on Saturday (August 15) and seized the fake idol, a pink-coloured stone, an SUV, five mobile phones, three bottles containing an unidentified liquid and two red towels.
The accused were identified as Kethavath Raju alias Katappa, 38, Vadathya Kumar, 34, Praveen Singh, 34, Mangali Basava Naresh, 38, P. Narsimha, 45, and Challa Ravi, 38. All are residents of Hyderabad or neighbouring districts, with Ravi working as an astrologer.
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