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MANGALURU: The city police has arrested one more person in connection with the sensational dacoity reported at Kateel temple’s priest’s house last year. With this, the total number of arrests in this case has gone up to 12. Five more accused in this case are still at large. 
 The arrested have been identified as Pradeep Shetty, 22, a resident of Tenka Yekkar. He is a driver by profession. His arrest was made by Bajpe police on Thursday. 
 On October 4 last year, a group of 7-8 dacoits gained entry into the house of Vasudeva Asranna, priest at Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari temple, and decamped with gold ornaments, cash and other valuables.  Armed with a revolver and sharp weapons, the gang had looted 640 grams of gold, cash and mobile phones.

 The gang not only threatened Vasudeva Asranna’s son and other inmates of the house, but also tied them inside before robbing them of their valuables. The earlier arrests has led to seizure of 455 grams of gold jewellery, a revolver, four live rounds and a mobile phone used for the crime. 
 So far, the accused arrested in this case are: Bharath Shetty, 30, resident of Bhandaribetttu village, Karkala, Mohammed Ali, 35, Melkar, Bantwal taluk, Purushottama, 44, Pavanje, Haleyangady, Harish Gatty, 41, Someshwara Village, Uchila, Chandrahas, 30, a resident of Nekkila House, Puttur, Sudheendra Rao H K, 33, a real estate broker from Bejai, Kapikad, Sadashiva Shetty, 49, of Thenka Yekkaru, Sooraj Kumar, 35, of Yekkaru and Suresh Kumar M, 40, of Punacha in Bantwal.

 Six persons had executed the plan hatched by Bharath Shetty and others. City Crime Bureau (CCB) unit inspector and his team had gone to Andheri, Panvel, Thane, Dombivili and Pune in Maharashtra, Goa, Chikkamagaluru and Udupi to nab the accused Bharath Shetty. 
 Former PRO of temple involved

 The main accused is said to be Chidananda, 33, who has already been arrested. All the arrested were indirectly involved in the crime by planning the whole act. Chidananda is a friend of Bharath Shetty, who directed him to carry out the crime saying that there was large amount of gold and treasure at the temple priest’s house. 
 Sudheendra Rao, a relative of another accused Suresh Kumar, working at Kateel temple as a PRO for nearly seven years, is one of the person involved in this plot.

 Rao, who suffered losses in his real estate business, masterminded the dacoity with the help of Suresh Kumar and others. Another accused Sadashiva Shetty, who was the driver of Rao, ferried the accused.