LARKANA: Thieves broke into a small Hindu temple, commonly known as Marhey, located in a small narrow lane in a predominantly Hindu locality in Ratodero town late on Wednesday night and made away with cash and gold dropped by supplicants in a box as an offering to gods.

They broke open the lock of the box and picked up the offerings in cash and gold worth thousands of rupees and escaped after vandalising two portraits of deities, said Dr Dharampal, vice president of the District Hindu Panchayat. They also removed gold lockets from the idols of certain deities, he added.

Panchayat leaders Seth Girdhari Lal, Dr Gordhan and others protested outside the temple for some time and later marched to the press club. They called for tracking down the trespassers and announced the community would hold a protest demonstration on Saturday after shutting their businesses.