MARCEL, NOV 11
Gold ornaments worth Rs 1.8 lakh were stolen from Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple, Kundaim, on Thursday afternoon.
According to reports, burglars broke open the door latch of the Garbha-Kudd and decamped with gold ornaments, which adorned idols.
The incident came to light when the temple priest unlocked the main door to offer afternoon Prasad to the deity, however seeing the Garbha-Kudd door open and missing gold ornaments, police were alerted.
“As usual, I finished afternoon prayers and went home after locking the main door and also the Garbha-Kudd door at about 1.30 pm,” informed temple priest Krushnanand Kudav.
“Soon, after my brother Yeshwant, also a temple priest, who had gone to offer Prasad, noticed the latch broken and gold ornaments, which adorned deity, missing, he alerted us and in turn we informed the temple president and the police about the incident,” said Krushnanand Kudav.
“The burglars seems to have affected entry through the side door, which was latched from inside. I think this could have been pre-planned as the side door was intact. Burglars could have unlatched it in the morning,” added Krushnanand Kudav.
According to the youth, who were sitting outside the temple premises, noticed an unidentified man when the temple priest opened the main door of the temple.
“Soon, after the main door was opened by the temple priest, one well-built man came from behind the temple and walked away. It did not strike us, as visitors often come to the temple,” said Kanaiya Naik.
“However, when the temple priest told us about the incident, we ran in the direction of that person, but to no use. We have seen that man for the first time in our village,” added Naik.
Later, the Sausthan President Shashikant Bhandari lodged a police complaint.
It may be recalled that on September 6, gold worth Rs 40,000 was reported stolen from Shree Vithoba Temple in Marcel. On October 30, burglars decamped with cash of Rs 40,000 from the collection fund box from Maruti Temple at Conem-Priol, while on October 31, another theft was reported at Shree Ganesh Temple at Balaji Devasthan, Cuncolim-Priol, where gold ornaments worth Rs 3.2 lakh were stolen.
