Dhenkanal: Close on the heels of series of thefts reported from the temples in the State of late, two more shrines have also been robbed by unidentified miscreants in the district late last night.
Reports said that the heists have taken place at Chhatia village of Gundichapada panchayat under Odhapadha block and Sadar police limits.
The two temples of the village are reported to be of Goddess Tarini and Lord Shiva.
As per the police complaint lodged, the thieves have decamped with gold ornaments worth over lakh of rupees, metal items used for the religious rituals as well as the bells and gongs.
Soon after being informed, the local police personnel rushed there and initiated investigation by pressing sniffer dog into service.
Notably, the Pipili police in Puri district yesterday arrested an accused in the theft of five old metallic idols from the 13th-century Sri Gopinathdev Temple at Kakudia. The heist had been discovered and reported to police on January 31 morning this year. The precious metallic idols of Lord Bishnu, Maa Laxmi, Lord Krishna, Sri Radha and Sri Garuda Deva were missing.
In his media reactions, the priest of Maa Tarini Temple said, “I suspect no one in the village. I’m even ignorant of the cause behind the theft. Lots of items belonging to the goddess has been looted. Including her weapons, all jewellery robbed. I came to know the incident when I opened the temple at 7 am this morning.”
