Odisha: Ornaments Worth Rs 15 Lakh Stolen From Durga Puja Pandal In Jajpur Village

Jajpur, Oct 12: Unidentified miscreants allegedly stole gold and silver ornaments worth over Rs 15 lakh from a Durga Puja pandal in a village in Odisha's Jajpur district on Friday night, Puja committee members said on Saturday.

The incident took place at the Bangali Sahi Puja Mandap in Barundei village under Korei police station limits in the district late last night, they added.

According to the information, a feast was organized at the Puja Mandap on Friday night. After the feast, the members of the Puja Committee left for their homes at around 12 midnight.

Later, only two persons-- the priest and secretary of the Puja committee- slept inside the mandap after locking the main gate. When the duo woke up at around 2 AM, they discovered the ornaments missing and the main gate of the mandap left open.

The stolen items included various gold and silver ornaments, such as a crown, necklace, trident, earrings, and nose rings belonging to Goddess Durga and other deities.

Later, the Puja committee members lodged a complaint with the Korei police station in this regard.

Police started an investigation into the incident.

More details are awaited.