Bengaluru: The police have arrested one person for allegedly stealing six rare, historic idols from two temples.

The police identified the arrested person as Ambarish, 36, a resident of Ramasagar in Kolar district.

The police said the accused had stolen four Vijayanagara-era idols from the Jnanabhiramudu temple in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

According to the police, the four panchaloha idols made from a combination of five metals were donated to the temple by Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya in the 16th century.

Using a similar modus operandi of breaking through the front door of ancient temples with little security, Ambarish is also accused of stealing two panchaloha idols — Chamundi and Shanidevaru — from the Nandigudi Shani Mahatma Temple on the outskirts of the city. All six idols have been recovered.

Chain-snatching cases

Apart from this, the police said he was involved in a spate of chain-snatching cases in K.R. Puram, Marathahalli, Kadugodi, Mahadevapura, J.B. Nagar and Varthur areas. Six gold chains were recovered from the accused.