KENDRAPARA: Robbers struck at the century-old Maa Thanapati temple in Balisahipatana village within Rajnagar police limits on Thursday night and decamped with gold and silver ornaments besides other items worth `4 lakh.
The thieves entered the temple by breaking open the rear door and made away with eight silver crowns, two silver swords, six gold chains and other ornaments and items. The incident came to light when a priest opened the temple front door in the morning and found the valuables missing. He then informed the matter to president of the temple managing committee Maheswar Sutar who lodged a complaint with Rajnagar police.
Rajnagar IIC Tapan Nayak said it seems to be handiwork of thieves who are experts in committing thefts at religious places. “We are interrogating some temple priests and locals who do not rule out the involvement of an insider. Police have formed a special team to investigate the theft and efforts are on to nab the miscreants,” he added. After the news of the burglary broke out, a large number of villagers staged protest in front of the temple and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. As many as 15 religious and historic places have been burgled in the district in the last four years.