Patna, Dec 29 (IANS) The investigation into the multi-crore theft at the famous Thave Durga Temple in Bihar’s Gopalganj has taken a dramatic turn, leaving both police officials and the people stunned.
The Gopalganj police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) conducted a continuous 24-hour excavation guided by the beeping signals of metal detectors.
One after another, two priceless Ashtadhatu idols of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita were recovered from beneath the ground on Monday.
The major breakthrough came during a second consecutive raid at the house of absconding prime accused Sharif Alam, located in the Arar locality under the Town police station area.
Acting on specific intelligence that stolen items had been buried inside the premises, police cordoned off the entire area and launched an intensive search operation.
With the assistance of a technical team, metal detectors, and heavy police deployment, every corner of the house — including rooms, the courtyard, cowshed, and even nearby premises — was thoroughly searched.
When the ground was dug up, police were stunned to uncover highly valuable Ashtadhatu idols of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, along with several other suspicious items, including soap, a sewing machine, shoes, aluminum electrical wires, and jewellery.
According to police sources, the idols were stolen from a temple in Chhapra and had been buried underground, concealed beneath bricks and paving stones to destroy evidence.
In connection with the case, police have arrested four family members of the absconding accused — his wife Shabba Khatun, mother Madina Khatun, and sisters Tabbu and Sabbu.
During questioning, all the four accused reportedly provided crucial inputs, significantly advancing the investigation.
The accused women were taken for medical examination at Sadar Hospital under the security of female police personnel, following which the process of producing them before the court and sending them to jail was initiated.
Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Dixit confirmed that the SIT’s investigation is underway.
“Several suspicious items linked to the theft were recovered during the excavation on Monday, and it is suspected that the absconding accused still holds a substantial portion of the stolen temple ornaments,” Dixit said.
Police sources said that large parts of Goddess Durga’s gold crown, necklace, and umbrella are still missing.
Acting on fresh leads, a joint team of the Special Task Force and Gopalganj police have intensified search operations to recover the remaining valuables.
The sensational theft occurred on the night of December 17 and 18, when unidentified thieves broke into the sanctum sanctorum of the Thave Durga Temple and looted gold ornaments worth crores of rupees.
The theft came to light on the morning of December 19, triggering widespread outrage across Bihar and putting immense pressure on the police.
Now, all eyes are on whether accused Sharif Alam will be arrested soon and whether all of Goddess Durga’s stolen ornaments will be recovered.
However, the Gopalganj police have expressed confidence that this high-profile temple theft case will be solved in the near future.
–IANS
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