Seven people were arrested on Saturday in connection with the recent theft of a one-tonne 'Nandi' idol from an ancient Shiva shrine in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, police said.

The accused had stolen the idol from the famous Bala Tripura Sundari Sametha Agastheswara Swamy Ramachandrapuram Mandal temple on January 23 believing rumours that diamonds were embedded in it.