Silver canopies and gold mangalsutra stolen from Dadaji Dhuniwale temple in Nagpur's Hingna

Two unidentified thieves broke into a temple in the Waghdhara area under Hingna police station limits in Nagpur and made off with two silver canopies and a gold mangalsutra. The temple belongs to the Dadaji Dhuniwale Nishan Samiti. The stolen items are valued at about Rs 76,000. Hingna police have registered a case on a complaint and begun an investigation.

According to police, the theft took place on the night of October 11. Four people are employed at the temple for cleaning and worship, and they stayed on the premises after the temple closed. Even so, the two unidentified accused managed to get in by breaking the lock of the channel gate.

The accused took away two silver canopies fitted on the two idols of Dadaji Dhuniwale installed in the temple. The canopies are said to weigh about two kilograms in all. The thieves also took the gold mangalsutra worn around the neck of the goddess idol. The total loss, including the silver canopies and the gold ornament, has been put at about Rs 76,000.

When the theft came to light, people associated with the temple informed the police. After receiving the complaint, Hingna police registered a case against the two unidentified accused under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

CCTV cameras are installed on the temple premises, and it has emerged that the accused were captured on them. Police are now trying to identify the accused on the basis of the footage and other leads.

Local residents are angry over the theft at the temple. They have demanded that police identify and arrest the accused at the earliest and recover the stolen jewellery. The police investigation is continuing.