Bhubaneswar: The Odisha capital reported a series of burglaries with thieves targeting three temples in Patia area under Infocity police limits late on Thursday.
According to sources, the thefts took place at Kanaka Durga, Neelkantheswar and Shikharachandi temples and were discovered when priests arrived this morning for the rituals. Temple authorities were immediately informed, and complaints were lodged at the Infocity police station.
The visuals of the crime have been captured in the CCTV cameras at each temple. A footage from one temple shows four masked men entering the premises, checking the surroundings and decamping with gold and silver ornaments, idols, and cash from the donation boxes (hundis).
At the Kanaka Durga temple, the thieves allegedly stole a gold idol of the deity, a silver throne, along with other ornaments such as a forehead tikka and nose ring. They also broke open the hundi and took away the collected cash.
The total value of the stolen items is estimated to run into lakhs of rupees.
Police have registered cases based on the complaints and launched a detailed investigation. The CCTV footage are being closely examined for leads and have expressed confidence in cracking the case soon.
