Telangana: Theft in Basar Saraswati temple stuns devotees and officials

Thieves broke into Mahankali temple on the Basar Saraswati temple premises and decamped with money from the hundi and a silver crown.

Nirmal: Unidentified miscreants decamped with a silver crown and a hundial from a sub-temple at the ancient Sri Gnana Saraswathi Devasthanam of Basar on Monday night. The incident came to light in the early morning on Tuesday, shocking devotees and exposing glaring security lapses.

Police said that unknown intruders stole the silver crown adorning the presiding deity and a hundial at Mahankali temple located in a floor above the Saraswathi temple. They broke open the shrine’s gate and dumped the hundial at another sub-temple after collecting the money from it.

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Temple priests realized the theft after they went to the temple to perform morning prayers. Based on a complaint received from temple authorities, police launched a probe. Special teams were formed and investigators are examining the CCTV footage.

This is not the first such incident. On August 15, 2024, an unknown person made away with offerings by breaking open a hundial and valuables from an almirah belonging to the ancient temple. Sai Kumar, a 21-year-old from Nizamabad district was arrested for his alleged involvement four days later.

Meanwhile, devotees expressed concern over security lapses at the famous temple of Telangana. They said that there were thefts at regular intervals, reflecting callous attitude of the officials in safeguarding the temple. They urged officials to step up security to prevent such instances in future.

The only temple of Goddess Saraswathi, draws 20 lakh devotees per annum and generates income of Rs 20 crore.