Ornaments worth lakhs stolen from 250-year-old temple

KOLKATA: Gold and silver ornaments worth several lakhs were stolen from inside a 250-year-old landmark temple at Kidderpore in the early hours of Sunday. According to temple priests, two gold chains and 19 silver ornaments that adorned the main deity inside the Panchananda temple were found missing when the door of the sanctum sanctorum was opened around 6am.


Police said the thieves had tried to enter the temple through its roof but failed to break the stone and brick construction.

“They then made a makeshift bamboo hook, inserted it through the iron grille near the ceiling and possibly pulled the ornaments out of the deity one by one,” said police. “We have found the hook and some footsteps on the landing beside the roof,” said an officer of Watgunge police station.


The temple door was closed by one of the priests, Ashoke Chakraborty, around 11.45pm on Saturday. After the gate was opened on Sunday morning, the priests found that some ornaments were strewn on the floor and most of the jewelleries on the main deity were missing.

“At night, we wrap the deity of Baba Panchanan with a white cloth. That apparel was lying on the ground and so were some ornaments. But most of them were missing. At first we wondered how the theft had taken place as the door lock was intact but later cops pointed at the iron grille. They also went upstairs to locate the place from where the theft was possibly carried out,” said Debasis Chakraboty, a temple sebait.

Chakraborty said the deity had 24 neck chains — three gold and the rest made of silver. On Sunday, only a gold chain and two silver chains were found dangling around its neck. “These jewelleries were donated by devotees. Hence, we don’t know their exact price. But, most of them were heavy and must have cost several lakhs,” he added.

Cops suspect somebody frequenting the temple must have committed the crime or provided a tipoff to the thieves.

“They knew the exact location of cameras. They knew that the sanctum sanctorum and the landing beside the roof were not under CCTV surveillance. Also, they knew the exact timing when the temple gates are closed and opened,” said an officer.

The cops have collected footages from the cameras at the temple and those on the road. However, till late on Sunday, no one was arrested.