Bhubaneswar, July 21 (UDN): In a major breakthrough, the Commissionerate Police has unearthed an inter-district temple theft racket with the arrest of three habitual offenders allegedly involved in a series of burglaries at temples across Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Police have also recovered a substantial quantity of stolen gold and silver ornaments along with cash during the operation.
The arrested accused have been identified as Bhima Bed, Nitish Singh and Suresh Singh, all residents of Godhibasa village under Sahadevkhunta Police Station in Balasore district.
According to the police, the trio confessed during interrogation to their involvement in multiple temple thefts, including burglaries at Sri Ramachandra Temple in Bhairapur, Mangala Temple and Maa Barsa Baudanga Temple in Nuagaon.
The investigation further revealed their alleged role in several other temple burglaries across the Commissionerate Police limits. These include thefts at seven temples in Badasamantarapur, Belda Goddess Temple, two temples under 42 Mouza Police Station, and the Kanak Durga, Gramadevi and Dhumabati temples under Tangi Police Station. The accused also reportedly admitted to thefts at the Kanak Durga and Nilakantheswar temples under the Chandrasekharpur Police Station jurisdiction.
Acting on the information provided by the accused, police traced the stolen valuables to a concealed location near Charbatia Railway Station. A large quantity of gold and silver ornaments, along with ₹19,100 in cash, was recovered and seized during the operation.
Police officials said the recovery is a significant breakthrough in solving a string of temple theft cases that had triggered concern among local residents and devotees in recent months.
Investigators are now examining whether the accused were part of a larger organised theft network and are verifying their involvement in other unsolved temple burglary cases across the state.
Further investigation is in progress.