BALASORE/BERHAMPUR : In yet another incident in a string of temple thefts, lakhs of rupees were stolen from the donation box at Nilagiri’s Panchalingeswar temple on Tuesday night. The theft was noticed by the temple’s servitors, who saw the donation box tampered with, to access the cash inside.
Soon, the manager of the temple trust board Shishir Mishra was informed who lodged a complaint at the Nilagiri police station. Mishra stated in the complaint that the donation box had not been opened for six months. The exact amount stolen hence remains undisclosed, but it is believed to be a substantial sum, the complaint mentioned.
Inspector in-charge Gopal Krishan Karna confirmed the incident, stating that a case has been registered and investigations are underway.
Similar cases were reported from Remuna, Bhograi, Jaleswar, and Basta areas over the past three months, the latest being two days ago.
Similarly in Nayagarh, unidentified miscreants made away with gold and silver jewellery along with a substantial sum of cash from the newly constructed Ram Temple atop the Giri-Govardhan hill at Fategarh on Tuesday.
The theft was noticed by the temple priest during the early hours of Wednesday morning as heavy rains battered the region throughout the preceding evening. Taking advantage of the adverse weather conditions, the perpetrators struck after the priest concluded his rituals and left the temple locked up.
However, when the priest reached the temple on Wednesday morning, the main door stood ajar, and the donation box lay broken and emptied.
The temple authorities estimate that the miscreants made off with a staggering Rs 8 lakh in cash, in addition to gold and silver ornaments valued at over Rs 15 lakh. Upon receiving information, local police launched an investigation. Two persons have been detained for interrogation, police said.