Mysuru: Krishnaraja (KR) Police, who had taken a 29-year-old man into their custody after he was caught by the public when he was standing in a suspicious manner in front of a locked house on Uttaradi Mutt 1st Cross, has question the man.

During interrogation, the Police identified the man as Praveen alias Praveen Bhat of Vijayanagar in Bhadravati. The accused is said to have confessed of disguising himself as a devotee and frequent Raghavendraswamy Mutts at Shankarapura in Bengaluru, Kuvempunagar, Vidyaranyapuram, Krishnaraja and Jayalakshmipuram Police limits in Mysuru and steal gold ornaments, silver articles, cash and other valuables from the bags of devotees and priests.

The Police also came to know that Praveen used to go to the houses of devotees and tell that he was from Raghavendraswamy Mutt and steal valuables while collecting donations, following which the Police arrested Praveen.

Based on the information provided by the accused, the Police have recovered 27 grams gold ornaments, two cell phones and silver articles, all worth Rs. 81,000 and Rs. 61,000 cash from him.

DCPs M. Muthuraj and B.T. Kavitha and KR Sub-Division ACP Poornachandra Tejaswi supervised KR Inspector L. Srinivas, Sub-Inspector Sunil, ASI Suresh and staff Anil K. Shankapal, Muqadar Shariff, Mahesh, Satish Kumar, Madhu, Rajamalige and Ragini in the nabbing and recovery operation, according to a press release from the Public Relations Officer, City Police Commissioner’s Office, Mysuru.