Miscreants break into temple in Puri, loot gold ornaments and cash from donation boxes

Miscreants allegedly broke into a temple in Odisha’s Puri district and decamped with over Rs 2 lakh in cash along with gold ornaments from two donation boxes on Monday night. The theft was reported from Adangei temple under Gop police station limits.

Police said the temple locks were found broken and two donation boxes were missing when the incident came to light. The matter is under investigation.

Theft Detected By Priest

According to sources, the theft was first noticed by the temple priest, who found the main lock broken on arriving at the shrine. On inspection, the donation boxes were found missing from the premises. It was reported that the two donation boxes together contained more than Rs 2 lakh in cash.

Apart from the cash, gold ornaments and some copper items belonging to the temple were also found to be missing.

CCTV Footage Shows Four Miscreants

Preliminary examination of CCTV footage installed at the temple revealed that four miscreants were involved in the theft. The footage showed the accused breaking open the temple locks and removing the donation boxes and other valuables.

Sources said the miscreants had their faces covered and appeared to be wrapped in shawls. They were seen carrying the stolen items in a bag before fleeing the spot.

Police Action And Probe

Police detained one individual in connection with the case and further questioning is underway. Broken locks were found lying scattered around the temple premises, indicating forced entry.

At the time of reporting, a forensic team was expected to visit the site to collect evidence and assist in the investigation. Police said efforts were on to identify and trace all those involved in the theft based on CCTV footage and other leads.

Also Read: Four temples looted in Keonjhar, police probe begins

The incident caused concern among devotees, while police assured that appropriate action would be taken following a detailed investigation.