Burglars stole gold ornaments and bronze objects worth around ₹10 lakh from a Siva temple in Vannivedu village near Walajah town in Ranipet on Tuesday. The temple priest discovered the theft early in the morning when he found damaged locks at the entrance and sanctum sanctorum.
The incident took place at the local Siva temple. Temple priest K. Manoj, 53, a resident of Walajah, opened the main entrance around 8 a.m. and found the locks damaged. He then discovered that the lock of the sanctum sanctorum had also been broken. Gold ornaments, bronze objects, and cash from hundis were missing.
Walajah police inspected the spot after being informed. Fingerprint experts and sniffer dogs were deployed to collect clues from the site. A probe is under way.
Instances of theft have occurred in the temple premises more than 40 times in the past two decades. The police noted the isolated location of the temple and the lack of security measures, including CCTV cameras, as possible factors.
