THRISSUR: In a carefully planned burglary, thieves entered the sanctum sanctorum of Makalikavu Bhagavathy Temple at Thekkepuram and made off with its 15-kg panchaloha idol and a silver conch after allegedly covering the CCTV cameras with a silk cloth.
The theft is suspected to have taken place late Thursday night or in the early hours of Friday.
The idol, which is believed to be more than 50 years old, is the principal deity of the temple.
The theft came to light when the temple priest arrived in the morning to open the shrine. He noticed that the idol was missing from the sanctum and alerted the temple authorities. Residents also gathered at the temple after the incident came to light.
The Kunnamkulam police reached the spot and launched an investigation.
The fact that the thieves allegedly covered the CCTV cameras before carrying out the theft has strengthened the suspicion that the burglary was pre-planned.
The police are examining whether the perpetrators had prior knowledge of the temple’s security arrangements.
Investigators are also checking CCTV footage from roads and establishments in the surrounding area to identify the movements of the suspects before and after the burglary.