Thieves broke into the ancient Maa Dakshineshwari Bhagwati Devi Chamunda temple in Pathalgadda block of Chatra on Sunday and stole the silver crown and other gold ornaments on the black stone idol of Goddess Lemboiya.

Temple committee members informed Pathalgadda police as soon as they came to know of the crime, and an FIR was lodged.

Situated on the Lemboiya hill, the temple is several centuries old. Currently, it is being renovated and the thieves took this opportunity to enter the temple through the ventilator.

Priests said that when they opened the temple door, they found the crown and other gold and silver ornaments missing from the idol.

Temple committee members – Basudev Tiwary, Dhanushdhari Ram Dangi and Bakeshwar Dangi – said they found the main gate of the temple locked. The thieves entered through a ventilator and escaped with silver crown and ornaments worth lakhs. Other than the silver crown, a gold maang tikka, a gold netra (eye) were stolen. We want immediate arrest of the thieves, they added.

Officer-in-charge of Pathalgadda police station, Avinash Kumar, who reached the temple soon after getting the information, assured the temple committee members and local residents. He said the investigation started and thieves will be nabbed soon.

The theft has sparked anger in the area as local people claimed that the temple was targeted thrice in the past and ornaments were stolen. The police, however, failed to crack the earlier cases.

The idol of Devi Lemboiya after the theft in the temple in Chatra on Sunday. Picture by Vishvendu Jaipuriar