Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): Gold and silver ornaments worth lakhs of rupees were looted from a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, as reported by police on Sunday.
According to information, the incident took place at Maa Durga temple place under Shahpura police station jurisdiction, around 40 km from Jabalpur city.
Around 3 pm on Saturday, a man carrying a bag entered the temple and stole all the ornaments from the idol of Goddess Durga.
The stolen items include a gold and silver crown, necklace, nose ring, bangles, and other jewelry. After collecting everything, the thief put them into his bag and fled the spot.
The matter came to light only when the temple priest arrived for evening prayers at 6 pm and found that the idol was without ornaments. Upon checking the nearby CCTV cameras, the thief was seen entering and leaving the temple premises with the bag.
This incident has sparked outrage among the residents of Shahpura. Locals have alleged that thefts are continuously increasing in the town, and criminals have no fear of the police anymore. “If theft can take place inside a temple situated within a police station, then ordinary residents are not safe at all,” they said.
Temple priest Nandu Maharaj stated that ornaments worth lakhs of rupees were offered to the Goddess, all of which have been stolen. He added that this was not just a theft but also a violation of their religious sentiments.
After the incident, police have gone on high alert. All police personnel of Shahpura station have been deployed to track down the thief. Authorities are scanning CCTV footage from all entry and exit routes in the area to identify and arrest the culprit.
