KENDRAPARA: In a midnight heist, miscreants struck three temples within Aul police limits in Kendrapara district and decamped with gold and silver ornaments and other articles of the deities worth around Rs 10 lakh on Monday.
The robbery took place in Ram temple at Juania, Krishna temple at Gobindapur and Mangala temple at Baramatia. As per reports, the thieves also stole cash by breaking the donation boxes in the three shrines.
The burglary came to notice when the servitors reopened the temples for daily rituals on Tuesday morning and found ornaments and other belongings of the deities missing. After FIRs were filed, police launched an investigation.
Aul IIC Dilip Sahoo said police has formed a special team to investigate the thefts and video footage of nearby areas are being examined for vital clues. “It appears to be handiwork of thieves who are experts in carrying out thefts in religious places. Efforts are on to nab the accused. Temple priests and locals do not rule out ‘insider’ involvement,” he said.
On February 19, a similar heist took place in Lakshmi Varaha Jew temple in Aul where Ashtadhatu idol of Radha-Krishna and other brass idols were stolen from the sanctum sanctorum.