Patna: Thieves broke into the ancient Kali temple under Thaneshwarsthan railway bridge in Samastipur district and stole valuables from the sanctum sanctorum. The incident took place late Friday night under the jurisdiction of the Town police station.According to the temple priest, Basant Kumar Jha, the incident occurred after the evening ‘aarti’ was performed on Friday. The priest closed the temple doors around 9.30pm and retired in his room. When he returned to the temple on Saturday morning, he found that the silver crown adorning the idol of Goddess Kali, valued at approximately Rs 50,000, along with earrings and a necklace, was stolen. The thieves also broke open the donation box and took away the money. Additionally, two small idols were reported missing.Upon receiving the information, a police team reached the spot and started the investigation. The CCTV footage from the temple captured the entire break-in.“The video shows a man entering the premises around 2.10am after removing a grille. The suspect had a towel wrapped around his face to conceal his identity. He is seen committing the theft. A youth was spotted loitering outside the temple during the incident,” the SHO of Town police station, Ajit Kumar, said.He said an FIR has been registered against unidentified thieves based on the complaint filed by the priest. “Further investigation is underway,” the SHO added.Hearing the news, a large number of people gathered outside the temple premises. The police assured people that the culprit will be arrested soon.
