TWO TEMPLE THEFTS
Tumakuru
Tumakuru district witnessed a worrying rise in theft incidents, with two temples targeted on the same day. The first case occurred at the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Tiptur, where a thief attempted to break open the temple’s hundi. He sneaked into the premises after locking the temple manager’s house from outside, damaged the CCTV cameras, and then entered the sanctum area to loot the donations.
However, the manager grew suspicious and alerted neighbours. When locals rushed to the temple, they caught the thief red-handed. Before being handed over to the police, the public thrashed him for attempting to steal from a holy place. Police recovered two stolen gold chains, along with tools such as an iron rod, knife, and screwdriver used for the break-in.
In another incident the same day, thieves targeted the Anjaneya Swamy Temple at Yakkalakette village in Gubbi taluk. CCTV footage captured the masked thieves entering the temple with an iron rod. They forcibly broke open the hundi and escaped with the collected offerings.
A case has been registered at the Cheluru Police Station, and efforts are underway to trace the culprits. Both incidents have sparked concern among residents, who are urging authorities to increase security around temples in the district.
