Burglars made off with an 18-kilogram silver palanquin, approximately Rs 40,000 in cash, and a pair of gold earrings from the historic Ganesh Temple at Kotla Molar Panchayat in Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh, in a meticulously planned theft that has shocked the local community. The stolen items, including the silver palanquin used in processions, have a combined purchase value of around Rs 16 lakh, but local residents estimate their current market value at roughly Rs 40 lakh due to rising precious metal prices.
Carefully Executed Theft
According to the temple committee, the burglars disabled all four CCTV cameras on the premises by cutting their wires and removed the digital video recorder (DVR) to destroy evidence. They then forced open the temple's main entrance and an almirah before fleeing with the valuables. The theft was discovered on Thursday morning when the temple was opened for daily prayers, prompting the committee to alert police immediately.
Sirmaur Superintendent of Police Nishchint Singh Negi confirmed that the burglary appeared to be carefully planned. “This is a serious offence, and we are investigating every lead with the help of scientific and forensic evidence. A forensic team and fingerprint experts have examined the crime scene, and we are confident that all those involved in the theft will be identified and put behind bars at the earliest,” Negi said.
Investigation Underway
Given the gravity of the case, forensic and fingerprint experts were called to examine the crime scene and collect scientific evidence. Police are scanning nearby areas and pursuing multiple leads to identify the perpetrators. Temple Committee president Arjun Thakur described the incident as a major blow to the faith of devotees and appealed to authorities for the early recovery of the stolen religious artefacts.
The theft has raised concerns about the security of religious institutions in the district, with locals demanding better protection for temples. Police have vowed swift action and are confident of solving the case using forensic evidence and CCTV footage from nearby establishments.
