A 300-year-old idol of Lord Krishna was stolen from Murli Manohar Temple situated at Dhuley Raoji village under Jamwaramgarh police station on the city outskirts. The incident came to notice at 7.30 pm on Tuesday when the temple priest closed the door of the place where the idol was established. "It appears that the theft must have taken place between 7 pm and 7.30 pm after the aarti was over and the priest and devotees had left the temple," said a senior police officer.
According to the villagers and police such idols are priceless as smugglers charge as much as Rs 1 crore which depends on the taste of international buyers. After the news of the theft reached the villagers on Wednesday morning it caused resentment. Hundreds of devotees demonstrated in front of the police station and kept the markets closed in protest. The police assured the agitating people that they would nab the culprits soon.
"The temple priest was shocked when he found the 300-year-old idol made of black stone missing. He immediately informed the nearby police station," said a senior police officer.
The idol's weight was nearly 40 kgs. "The burglars also decamped with silver chatra (dome) and some cash which was kept in the donation box," said a senior police officer.
Several devotees also gathered at the spot and accused the local police of being lethargic in dealing with the idol theft cases.
"In the past one year more than two dozen idols have been stolen from various temples situated on the city outskirts. However, the police are clueless and failed to recover even one idol," said Rajaram, a resident of Aandhi village.
