HYDERABAD: Thieves stole away three silver necklaces and cash in a burglary in an old Hindu temple in Kotri town late on Wednesday night.

Police registered a case under sections 457, 380, 295 and 297 PPC on a complaint lodged by Bhagwandas, caretaker of the temple, against the unknown thieves.

Sources said that the thieves broke open locks on Devi Mata temple in Kotri and took away three silver necklaces worn around the deities’ necks and around Rs25,000 cash from the temple’s donation box. The necklaces weighed 10 tola, said the caretaker.

Jamshoro SSP Javed Baloch said the temple management suspected someone from the locality where the temple was located was involved in the incident. He denied reports of desecration of deities or the temple by the suspects during the theft.

Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for Minorities Affairs Giyan­chand Esrani director the SSP to register an FIR and bring the culprits to justice. Such incident at a time when Hindu community was busy in celebrating Diwali festival was intolerable, he said and directed the SSP to beef up security around temples in the district to preempt repeat of such incidents.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2021