Unidentified miscreants looted gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 6–7 lakh from the famous Maa Mangala Temple at Rekula under Kamakhyanagar NAC in Dhenkanal district late Wednesday night.
Reports said two masked men broke into the temple by cutting open the door. They decamped with the ornaments along with about ₹20,000 in cash from the donation box.
The theft came to light Thursday morning when the temple priest arrived for daily rituals and found the locks broken. He immediately alerted locals, who later lodged a written complaint at the Kamakhyanagar police station.
This marks the third temple theft in Kamakhyanagar within a week. Earlier, burglars targeted the Ram Temple in Malapura and the Radha Krishna Temple in Anantapur, following the same late‑night break‑in pattern.
Repeated incidents have triggered strong resentment among locals, who accused police of failing to conduct regular patrolling in the area.
Police have launched an investigation and are examining CCTV footage from nearby areas to identify the culprits. Officials assured that efforts are underway to nab those involved.
