Thu Apr 10 13:41:57 UTC 2025: ## Coimbatore Police Recover Stolen Silver Spear
**COIMBATORE, April 10, 2025** – Coimbatore police have arrested a man for stealing a 2.5-foot-tall silver spear, known as a “Vel,” from a meditation hall near the Marudhamalai temple. The theft occurred last week amidst the crowds gathering for the temple’s consecration ceremony.
V. Venkatesa Sharma, a self-proclaimed monk from Dindigul district, was apprehended on Thursday and the stolen Vel, valued at approximately ₹4 lakh, was recovered. Police say Sharma was identified through surveillance footage showing him acting suspiciously near the Vel Kottam Dhyana Mandapam on April 2nd, the day of the theft.
Sharma, originally from Madurai, confessed to stealing the Vel after visiting the meditation hall. The Vadavalli police launched an investigation following the theft report and tracked him to Coimbatore. The investigation utilized CCTV footage from the area.
First Piper 