Gold and silver ornaments worth around ₹15 lakh were stolen by unidentified criminals from a Durga Puja mandap in Odisha.

The incident was reported in the Korei police station limits under Jajpur district on Saturday, about 150kms from the Odisha capital.

A complaint has been lodged. Police have started an investigation.

Sources said that the stolen items included silver and gold jewellery such as crowns, necklaces, tridents, nose rings, and earrings that adorned the deities, including goddess Durga.

A Puja committee member said that they went to their houses on Friday night, after closing the main gates of the Barundei temple. However, when they came early on Saturday morning, they found the ornaments missing.

Realising that the ornaments were stolen, they immediately alerted the police, the source said.

Inspector in charge of Korei police station, Sanjay Parida, told The Telegraph that they suspect this to be an inside job.

“We suspect an insider was involved. Besides 200 grams of gold ornaments, many silver ornaments were also looted. There has been no sign of any outsider forcing entry to the temple premises. Let the Puja festivities conclude; we will step up the investigation. We have zeroed in on some suspects,” Parida said.