Bhubaneswar, Jan 30: In a shocking incident, miscreants looted valuable ornaments and cash from the Jagannath temple located in Belabahali village under Ghasipura police limits in Keonjhar district, sparking concern among local residents and devotees.

According to reports, the burglars decamped with gold and silver ornaments adorning the idols of Lord Jagannath, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Bimala. The stolen items reportedly include crowns and other decorative jewellery used during daily rituals and special festivals. In addition to the ornaments, the thieves also broke open five donation boxes kept inside the temple and fled with cash amounting to several lakhs of rupees.

The theft came to light when temple servitors and villagers arrived for morning rituals and noticed the locks broken and valuables missing. Police were immediately informed, following which a team reached the spot to assess the situation.

Police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation into the incident, suspecting it to be part of a recent spate of temple thefts reported from different parts of the district. However, the absence of CCTV cameras in and around the temple premises has posed a major challenge in identifying and tracking the culprits.

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