Sonepur: Twelve rare ancient ‘Ashtadhatu’ idols stolen from Gopaljee Temple in Subarnapur 42 years ago and kept in CBI storehouse have been handed over to the district administration Wednesday.
After a brief ritual inside the Bhubaneswar court premises in the evening, officials began transporting the idols in special van under a thick security cordon to Subarnapur around 9pm. The news of the return of the idols has sparked joy in Subarnapur, where residents are eagerly waiting for the homecoming of the rare idols. Sources said Khurda Additional District Judge-III Himansu Sekhar Mallick ordered that the seized idols be returned to Gopaljee Temple. Following the order, Subarnapur Endowment Department initiated steps to bring them back Monday. SDJM Binod Bihari Sahu granted permission to formally hand over the idols to the endowment department Wednesday. Subarnapur Collector Nruparaj Sahu had reached Bhubaneswar Tuesday afternoon to oversee the process.
Similarly, Sonepur Sub-Collector and Endowment Officer Soumyarupa Rath had been stationed in Bhubaneswar for the past 10 days coordinating efforts to retrieve the idols. Gopaljee temple Mahant Bansidhar Das, along with several lawyers and devotees, were also present during the handover.
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In 1982, 12 valuable idols — including those of Radha, Gopaljee, Garuda and nine other subsidiary deities — were stolen from the shrine. The same year, the CBI arrested the thieves at Delhi airport. The idols were seized near Chandni Chowk and were later identified as belonging to Gopaljee Temple. Since then, they have remained in CBI storehouse in Bhubaneswar. Although media reports over the years highlighted the issue, administrative steps to bring the idols back were lacking. The temple committee made several attempts, and the matter eventually reached the court that had directed for reinstatement of the idols at Gopaljee Temple. However, the transfer process witnessed several delays.