Jajpur: As many as 31 idols that were stolen from various temples of the Jajpur district have been recovered along with the seizure of a pistol and a bike without a number plate. Police arrested four persons in this connection and produced them in court Friday. The accused have been identified as Arvind Kumar Singh (43), Babur aka Javed (40), and Bijay Kumar Sukla (51) from Uttar Pradesh along with Sasidhar Naik (49) from Nilagiri area of Balasore district, Jajpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinit Kumar Agrawal informed in a presser. While theft of idols has been continuing in the district actively for the last two decades, the police have finally traced its root in Uttar Pradesh.
On the other hand, it remains to be ascertained if there are multiple others complicit in idol theft and illegal trading. While the police are trying to catch hold of the mastermind, it is suspected that the idols are being smuggled abroad.
Notably, four idols were stolen from a temple in Krushnachandrapur under Jenapur police limits, February 20 night. Further, as many as 19 idols of Raghunath jew Temple in this town were stolen February 19 a night. Cases regarding the theft were registered at Jenapur and Jajpur Town police stations and an investigation was on. Idols were also stolen from Siddha Baladevajew Temple at Patapur in Dharmasala area and complaints were registered at Dharmasala PS. A team was formed by Jajpur police and on getting reliable information a raid was conducted. The three accused from Uttar Pradesh along with the one from Balasore were nabbed and total 31 numbers of idols were recovered from their possession apart from a pistol and bike.
All the idols of Krushnachandrapur temple and Raghunathjew temple have been recovered and their involvement in Dharmasala case was established. “It is suspected that they are involved in a number of idol theft cases in other districts also. Their involvement in other districts is being verified. The investigation is underway to nab the other accused and recover the remaining stolen idols,” Agrawal said.
