No link between two temple burglaries in Chatrinaka

Thieves broke into Uppuguda temple on October 5 and struck five days later at Lal Darwaza temple

There is no connection between the burglary at Hanuman temple in Uppuguda and Mahankali temple in Lal Darwaza, the police surmise based on fresh findings in the investigation.

The two offences were committed within five days under Chatrinaka police station area of old city prompting them to initially suspect that the same gang was behind both the crimes. Thieves broke into Uppuguda temple on October 5 and struck five days later at Lal Darwaza temple in the early hours of Wednesday.

Investigators believe only one person took part in the burglary at Uppuguda and the latter took care not to leave any traces. “The offender broke open the lock using an iron rod wrapped in cloth apparently to ensure his fingerprints were not found on the rod which he left at the crime scene,” a police officer said.

Interestingly, he also wiped all the places which he touched at the temple with the cloth so that no chance prints were left at the scene. They believe the burglar scaled the temple’s compound wall and entered its premises.

“Once inside, he had ample of time to break open the lock since chances of passers-by noticing him were zero because the wall was too high blocking inside view of the temple,” they observed. In the Lal Darwaza burglary too, an iron rod was used to break the lock of main door and that of the iron grill gate leading to sanctum sanctorum. Though the rod was not found at the crime scene, investigators collected several fingerprints. The offence was committed after 2 a.m. on Wednesday. From 1 a.m., the Chatrinaka police Rakshak vehicle was on the main road near the temple for an hour before leaving for patrolling.

Police thought of stepping up security after the Hanuman temple burglary in Uppuguda which was a few kilometres away. “But we never thought they would strike at the temple in Lal Darwaza on main road which is busy almost till midnight,” the police said. Two years ago, the temple committee approached the police stating that some silver ornaments were stolen from the temple. Police eventually found that a sweeper working on the temple premises was responsible.