Six held with fake Lakshmi idol, stone in Hyderabad

Six persons were apprehended here and a fake Panchaloha idol of Goddess Lakshmi, along with a stone, were seized from them, police said on Sunday, August 16.

The accused allegedly planned to sell the items by making false claims about their divine powers and fortune-bringing properties.

Police teams nabbed the six accused at Katedan on August 15 while they were allegedly attempting to sell the idol and the pink-coloured stone to prospective customers, DCP (Task Force) Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath said in a release.

The accused comprise four car drivers, a labourer and an astrologer, according to the release.

One of the accused had acquired the fake idol in 2024 for Rs 10 lakh, police said, adding that the group later formed to find prospective customers for the idol and the stone.

The accused, along with the seized material, were handed over to the SHO of Mailardevpally Police Station for further investigation, the release added.

Panchaloha refers to a sacred five-metal alloy traditionally used to craft Hindu temple idols and ritual icons.

(Inputs from PTI)