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Hyderabad: Six people were arrested by Mailardevpally Police on Saturday, August 15, for allegedly trying to sell a statue of a goddess and a stone at a high price by making false claims about its divine powers and fortune-bringing properties.

The accused have been identified as 45-year-old P Narsimha, 38-year-old Kethavath Raju, 34-year-old Vadathya Kumar, and 34-year-old Praveen Singh, who all work as drivers.

A 38-year-old labourer, Mangali Basava Naresh, and a 38-year-old astrologer, Challa Ravi have also been arrested.

According to the police, P Narsimha was allegedly deceived by Challa Ravi and others into buying a fake Panchaloha idol (sculpture made from a traditional alloy of five specific metals) of goddess Lakshmi in 2024 for Rs 10 lakh.

P Narsimha handed over the idol to Vadathya Kumar, and along with Kethavath Raju, Praveen Singh, and Mangali Basava Naresh, they formed a group for finding prospective customers and selling the idol at a suitable price.

Kethavath Raju then informed the others that he had a stone, which he had allegedly purchased from Malik, a resident of Hussaini Alam, and he was waiting for an opportunity to sell the said stone for a good price.

The accused had gathered at Laxmiguda, Katedan, on Saturday and were trying to sell the fake Panchaloha idol and stone while they were arrested by the police.

The idol, a pink colour stone, one car, five cellphones, two red towels and three bottles with unknown liquid were seized from their possession.