Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady
Beltangady, Apr 22: Thieves broke into the Nidigal Sri Lokanatheshwara temple in Kanyadi village during the early hours of Wednesday, April 22, and decamped with five collection boxes (hundis).
According to reports, the theft occurred around 2 am. The perpetrators gained entry by breaking the lock of the main entrance. Once inside, they made away with two large and three small collection boxes.
The entire act of theft was captured on the temple's CCTV cameras. It is estimated that the stolen boxes contained over Rs 30,000 in cash, contributed by devotees. The incident follows the grand celebration of the temple's Siri Jatrotsava, which concluded recently.
Following the incident, Beltangady sub-division DySP Rohini C K, circle inspector Ravi B S, and acting sub-inspector Sikandar Pasha visited the spot for an inspection. Specialized teams, including the Mangaluru canine squad, fingerprint experts, and the FSL SOCO team, were also pressed into service to gather evidence.
A case has been registered at the Beltangady police station, and a manhunt has been launched to apprehend the culprits.