Udupi : The Udupi police have recovered gold, silver articles and cash worth Rs 49,21,765 in connection with the cases reported between January 1, 2015 and December 28, 2015.

Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, Additional Superintendent of Police Santhosh Kumar said cases related to theft of gold, silver articles and cash worth a total of Rs 2,24,57,112, were reported during the period. The police have recovered goods worth only Rs 49,21,765. In this, gold, silver articles and cash, amounting to Rs 16,83,630, have been handed over to the complainants, he said.

He added that in Udupi sub division, materials worth Rs 29,42,350 were recovered which includes Rs 2,22,000 in cash. While in Karkala sub-division, Rs 11,78,635 worth gold and cash is recovered, in Kundapur sub-division, Rs 8,00,900 worth materials were recovered.

Kumar added that two bronze statues of Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi were recovered from accused who were into the idol trade in the Kalpana Lodge on October 27. The accused Mahadev Naik from Bhatkal, Eshwar Reddy from Gadag, Sadashiva Gowda from Sulya, Shekhar Mendon from Kodavur, Malpe, Venkatrama Naik from Murudeshwar and Basavaraj S Hanagodimutt from Haveri were arrested and produced before the court.

Both the bronze idols were antique s and they were sent to the Department of Archeology, Museums and Heritage, Bengaluru, for testing. The idols were confirmed to be antique and the Police Department circulated the pamphlets as no complaint was registered against theft. The accused too, who are out on bail, were not able to give details from where they had stolen the idols. The owners are not traced out so far, he added.

The police were able to recover gold weighing 339 gram in bar form as the head crown and four gold chains robbed from Mahalasa Narayani Devi Kshetra, Harikandige temple, was melted into bar format. The temple trustee and the complainant Namdev Shyanubhag said the theft had taken place on September 21 by some accused who came in the guise of devotees. They deceived the priest in the temple and decamped with the head crown and gold chains. However, the emerald in the crown is yet to be traced. An 11-member police team could nab the culprits in Bengaluru, he said.

During the period, materials worth Rs 44,73,435 were robbed and cases were registered in Udupi town police station. However, the amount recovered is Rs 13,42,665. In Malpe, theft cases of materials worth Rs 14,89,000 were reported, the amount recovered is Rs 3,60,000.

In Manipal police station limits, the police were able to recover materials worth Rs 4,94,900 as against the materials reported lost which were worth Rs 32,73,622. In Brahmavar police station limits, the police were able to confiscate materials worth Rs 87,000 and the worth of the lost items is Rs 4,45,300.

In Kollur police station limits, the cases were reported during the period includes missing of gold and cash worth Rs 1,75,500. The police were able to recover Rs 71,800. In Kaup police station limits, the police could recover materials worth Rs 1,42,000 as against the lost items worth Rs 8,40,200, the police official said.