Nayagarh: Days after a burglary at the Jagannath temple, another temple theft has been reported, this time at Gopinath temple in Odisha’s Nayagarh district, a source said Saturday.
CCTV footage from the temple captured the moment an unidentified thief broke open the temple lock and climbed onto Gopinath Jew’s throne. The suspect, wielding an iron rod, stole the jewellery adorning the deity along with cash from the donation box.
The footage also revealed that the masked miscreant initially attempted to break into the Dakhina Kali temple but failed. He then forced his way into Gopinath temple, where he carried out the theft.
The incident came to light early Saturday morning when temple priest Parmanand Dash arrived to open the premises. Upon discovering the break-in, he alerted the police.
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On being informed, Nayagarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jyoti Ranjan Samantaray and Town Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra arrived at the scene and launched an investigation.
This latest burglary follows similar incidents at Badapandusar’s Ugreswar temple, Odagaon’s Dutikeswar temple, and Nayagarh’s Jagannath temple, raising concerns over an ongoing temple theft spree in the region.
PNN