Police Arrest 7-Member Gang For Loot of Temples In Odisha’s Balasore & Mayurbhanj

Balasore: Police have nabbed a seven-member gang allegedly involved in looting the temples in Odisha’s Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts.

Speaking to media persons on the arrest, Balasore SP Sagarika Nath said following a series of theft from the temples in the district, a special police team led by Sadar SDPO was formed to investigate.

Following investigation into complaints filed at Chandipur and Sadar police stations about theft of precious jewellery from two temples, the police team had arrested 4 persons. During interrogation, the arrested persons revealed that they were selling the stolen ornaments to 3 jewellery shop owners who have also been apprehended.

The SP further said the gang was targeting the temples located in isolated areas and not having CCTV cameras. They were stealing the silver and gold ornaments of the deities besides the idols made of precious metals.

The police have also seized the stolen materials from the gang. The stolen ornaments were estimated to cost around Rs 6 lakh. Around 80% of stolen items from 19 temples in Balasore have been recovered from the gang while the investigation was going on into the rest 6 cases, the SP said.