Pathanamthitta (Kerala):
In a daring act, the gold-coated dome of a temple was stolen by thieves after killing an inmate and over-powering the security guard at Mallapally near Tiruvalla town early on Wednesday.
According to temple authorities, the dome of the Bhagavathi temple was coated with at least 10 sovereigns (80 grams) of gold.
Gopalakrishnan, 65, who had been living as an inmate of the temple for many years, was found killed in the temple premises.
The temple guard Chandrasekharan Panikkar said he was roughed up by the burglars and tied to a concrete post after binding his hands and legs.
He raised an alarm after the thieves decamped with the dome and it was around three in the morning that local people came to know about the theft.
The temple is run by a local organisation called Haindava Seva Samiti.
In a similar incident, some ornaments of the Sree Krishna temple at Mavelikkara were found missing today. Police have begun investigation in both the cases.
According to temple authorities, the dome of the Bhagavathi temple was coated with at least 10 sovereigns (80 grams) of gold.
Gopalakrishnan, 65, who had been living as an inmate of the temple for many years, was found killed in the temple premises.
The temple guard Chandrasekharan Panikkar said he was roughed up by the burglars and tied to a concrete post after binding his hands and legs.
He raised an alarm after the thieves decamped with the dome and it was around three in the morning that local people came to know about the theft.
The temple is run by a local organisation called Haindava Seva Samiti.
In a similar incident, some ornaments of the Sree Krishna temple at Mavelikkara were found missing today. Police have begun investigation in both the cases.
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