Trichy: In a brazen act of theft, miscreants broke into a 1,200-year-old temple near Lalgudi in Trichy district and stole a brass idol, besides taking away the CCTV camera and recording unit.
Details of the Burglary
The theft occurred at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, a government-aided temple in Nannimangalam village near Lalgudi. Believed to have been built during the Chola era, the temple houses shrines dedicated to Sundareswarar, Meenakshi Amman, Lakshmi Narayana Perumal with Bhoodevi and Seethadevi, Varadaraja Perumal, Vishnu Durga and other deities.
According to police, the temple was closed at 7pm on Monday after routine evening rituals. When temple priest Lakshmanan arrived the next morning to open the shrine, he found the door of the Maha Mandapam broken open.
Immediate Response
The priest immediately informed temple executive officer M Sundari and the police. During an inspection, officers found that the intruders had stolen an 11.8kg brass idol of Pradosha Nayanar kept in the mandapam.
Police also found that the CCTV camera and the digital recording unit installed at the temple had been removed, apparently to destroy evidence of the crime.
Investigation Underway
Based on a complaint, Lalgudi police registered a case. Inspector of Police S Dilli Babu said efforts were under way to trace the stolen idol and identify the suspects. Further investigation is on.
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