Thieves steal gold crown and ornaments from Ma Bimalei Temple in Jagatsinghpur district

Kendrapada: Thieves stole a gold crown, gold and silver ornaments, silver utensils and apparels of the deities from the famous Ma Bimalei temple in Jagatsinghpur district’s Kharipadia village under Balikuda police station limits on Monday night.They also looted money from the “hundis” or donation boxes of the temple. The theft in the temple was first noticed by temple priests on Tuesday morning. The temple committee secretary informed police.“We are trying to identify all burglars through nearby CCTV footage. Sniffer dog and a scientific team were also pressed into service,” said IIC of Balikuda police station Susant Sahoo.“It’s perhaps the handiwork of thieves who are experts in committing thefts in religious places. Efforts are on to nab them. Police have formed a special team to investigate the theft. We are interrogating a section of the temple priests and locals and they do not rule out ‘insider’ involvement,” added the police officer.Large number of people gathered at the temple on Tuesday after the news of the burglary broke out in the villages. They demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. Pingulai temple under Balikuda police station was burgled in March this year. Police are yet to arrest anyone. “Many temples and religious sites are the fertile ground for antiques. Some local antique dealers buy these from thieves for just a few rupees,” said Dr Basudev Das, a historian.