Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Nov 25: Police from Konaje station have succeeded in finding out the items which were stolen from Fajir Our Lady of Mercy church on the night of Monday November 23. The stolen goods were recovered on Tuesday evening.

The thieves had broken into the newly built church by breaking the bolt of the huge door to the eastern side of the church. They had taken away a tabernacle valued at Rs 25,000, ciborium containing a set of nine utensils valued at Rs 18,000, a laptop and other items valued at around 35,000. The total value of stolen items was put at Rs 70,000.

The CCTV cameras in the church had captured footage of the theft but pictures were not clear. One of the thieves had covered himself with cloth, while the other person was wearing a T-shirt but was not wearing mask. It is believed that the thieves took away the above items, some of which have gold coating, believing the to be made of gold. Perhaps out of their confidence that they had struck it rich, they did not touch some silver items found inside the church. Priest of the church, Fr Valerian Pinto, informed that the thieves had not inflicted any damage inside the church.

The goods were found inside the bushes near an abandoned, dilapidated house near Aladka in Harekala village on Tuesday evening. Mangalore Bishop, Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, had visited the church immediately after coming to know about the theft, and offered prayers.

Police are continuing with their efforts to trace the thieves. Assistant superintendent of police, Kalyan P Shetty and Konaje police sub-inspector, Sudhakar, have taken up investigation.