Two Hindu temples in Bihar have reported serious thefts of jewellery and temple funds, exposing once again how vulnerable Hindu shrines remain to targeted crime.
In Gopalganj, CCTV footage from the revered Thawe temple shows two masked men scaling the boundary using a ladder, entering the garbhagriha, breaking locks, and fleeing with the gold crown of the murti, weighing about 500 grams, along with a necklace and another ornament offered to Thawe wali Mata. The fact that the theft took place despite a permanent police post at the temple has raised serious questions about vigilance and alleged dereliction of duty among deployed personnel.
Police have registered a case and formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the Thawe temple incident, with the Gopalganj SP publicly assuring that the accused will be traced and strict action taken if lapses by on-duty staff are established. Devotees, however, are left shaken that thieves could walk into the sanctum sanctorum of a prominent Shaktipeeth and strip the Devi’s murti of her crown and ornaments in the presence of state security.
The same morning, thieves also broke into the Dharmnath temple in Saran district’s Bhagwan Bazar area, escaping with gold jewellery of Goddess Durga and two donation boxes containing offerings placed by devotees. Senior police officials have visited the temple, met the management committee, and ordered a manhunt for the culprits, but the damage to both faith and security confidence is already done.
