Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 21: Thieves entered Kollur Mookambika temple at Kinnigoli in the taluk on Wednesday July 19 late night and decamped with silver ornaments.

The priest of the temple, Lokesh, said that silver valuables and ornaments worth about Rs 4.50 lac including aureole, conch, wheel, mace, palm of the goddess and some other items worth about Rs 4.5 lac were stolen by the thieves.

When Lokesh from Sakleshpur, who is the priest of this temple, tried to go to the temple on Thursday morning for performing early morning puja, he found that his door had been bolted from outside. He called a neighbour over phone and asked him to unbolt the door. He then reached the temple and found that the theft had happened.

The front door of the temple was found intact. It is thought that the thieves scaled the outer compound wall, broke open the bolt and lock of the two doors to the sanctum sanctorum before taking away valuables. As the right and left side doors of the temple were found opened, it is speculated that the thieves left through these doors after the theft.

Fingerprint experts and sniffer dogs visited the scene of crime. Crime deputy commissioner of police, Hanumanthaiah, Mulky police inspector, Anantapadmanabha and others visited the spot.