Azamgarh (UP), Jul 29 (PTI) Six persons reportedly involved in the theft of precious 'Ashtadhatu' idols were arrested on Wednesday following an encounter with the police in Mubarakpur area here, an official said.

Saurabh Gupta, Anil Sonkar, Suraj Gupta, Ravindra Nishad, Pramjit and Rita Sonakar have been arrested, Superintendent of Police Triveni Singh said.

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Six of the precious idols looted from Ram Janki Temple in Mubarakpur on May 24 were recovered from their possession, he said, adding that the accused had tied priest Jayant Tiwari and took away the idols.

The police also recovered two countrymade pistols and cartridges from the accused.

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Singh said three persons of the gang managed to flee from the spot, adding that efforts are on to trace them.

The idols are stated to be worth crores of rupees in the international market, the officer added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)