5 temples burgled in 2 Kendrapada villages; items worth Rs 20L looted

Kendrapada: Burglars decamped with idols, ornaments and other items valued at around Rs 20 lakh from five temples in Kendrapada district’s Dhola and Nalapari villages on Monday night.

They looted money from the donation boxes of the Mangala, Hanuman and Tarini temples in Dhola village, and Khetrapalini and Hanuman temples in Nalapari. The burglary in all five temples were first noticed by priests on Tuesday morning. They reported the incidents to the temple committees who informed police.


“The thieves broke the front doors, iron grills and locks of all the temples and broke open the hundis. We have registered a case under various sections of BNS and investigation is on to apprehend the culprits,” said IIC of Nikirai police station, Padmalaya Pradhan.

“We have formed a special team to investigate the burglaries. We are interrogating a section of the temple priests and locals and they do not rule out ‘insider’ involvement. We are checking CCTV footage for clues,” he added.

A large number of people gathered at the temples after the burglaries were discovered, demanding swift action to catch the culprits.

Last month, police arrested four members of an idol theft gang in Jajpur district. Two months ago, six were caught for burglary at Maa Durga Temple in Jagatsinghpur district’s Pankapala village.




Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here

Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Merry Christmas wishes, messages and quotes !