Sai Temple Looted in Motihari: Silver Umbrella, Crown Stolen; Police Patrol Suspended
Burglars steal silver umbrella and crown from Motihari's Sai Temple. Police patrol team suspended as FSL and dog squads join the probe.
A wave of anger has swept through the Miskot area of Motihari, Bihar, after thieves broke into the prominent Sai Baba Temple and made off with sacred silver ornaments. The audacity of the crime has led to immediate disciplinary action, with the local police patrol team responsible for the area being suspended as the investigation intensifies.
The Midnight Heist
The burglary took place under the cover of darkness, with the perpetrators cutting through the locks to gain entry into the temple sanctum. Once inside, the thieves targeted specific religious artifacts, stealing a silver umbrella dedicated to Sai Baba and a crown belonging to Lord Ganesha.
In a strange turn of events, the temple priest was sleeping on the premises at the time of the incident but remained completely unaware that a crime was being committed just a few feet away.
Security Lapses and Recoveries
The investigation has already highlighted critical security failures. Motihari Superintendent of Police (SP) Swarna Prabhat revealed that the temple's own security cameras had been non-functional for roughly one and a half months, leaving the shrine vulnerable and without internal footage of the theft.
However, the thieves did not clear out everything. Reports indicate that the donation box and the charan paduka (sacred footprints) were left untouched. During the initial sweep of the crime scene, officers from the City Police station recovered an iron tool on the temple stairs, which is believed to have been used to break the locks.
Police Crackdown and Forensic Probe
The local community and devotees were outraged by the breach of a sacred space, gathering in large numbers at the site to demand justice. In response to the security lapse, the SP ordered the immediate suspension of the police patrol team assigned to the vicinity.
To track down the culprits, the police have deployed a comprehensive investigative team, including:
- Dog Squad: To track the scent and movement of the intruders.
- Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Team: To collect fingerprints and other physical evidence from the scene.
- CCTV Analysis: Officers are currently scanning footage from cameras located in the surrounding neighborhood to identify any suspicious movement.
Local resident Rajesh Kumar, popularly known as Guddu, has provided a formal statement to the authorities. The police continue to probe the matter to recover the stolen silver items and apprehend the thieves.