Tezpur: A spate of night-time burglaries at Namghar-temples across Tezpur has left residents on edge, with the latest incident reported from Rangapukhuri village, where a thief fled leaving behind stolen valuables and a bicycle loaded with looted temple articles. Over the past week, several Namghars in different parts of Tezpur have reportedly been targeted by thieves who broke in at night and made off with valuables and cash from donation boxes, according to local residents. The frequency of the break-ins has caused growing alarm in the town.
In the latest case, a thief broke into the namghar at Rangapukhuri, near Tezpur town, on the intervening night of Sunday, and packed the temple’s belongings into a large sack. However, the sack was left behind right outside the namghar. A bicycle found nearby had a bag attached to it containing a sizable haul of temple articles, including bells and brass and bronze utensils, which the thief also abandoned.
Also Read: Assam Partners with Medanta for Robotic Surgery Centre at GMCH
Residents out for their morning walk on Monday spotted the abandoned sack and bag and raised an alarm, following which the Kachari Gaon police were alerted. On reaching the spot, police confirmed that the namghar had indeed been broken into overnight, though the intruder had fled without taking any of the looted items, for reasons yet to be ascertained. Villagers said the thief had also attempted to break open the namghar’s donation box but did not succeed, leaving it partially damaged. It later emerged that the articles found in the bag on the bicycle belonged to a temple in the neighbouring Deka Chuburi locality, indicating the thief may have struck at more than one location the same night.
The recovered items have been seized by police attached to the Kachari Gaon outpost, who said investigations were under way to trace those behind the break-ins. Residents of Rangapukhuri have demanded that night patrolling by police be introduced in the area in view of the recurring incidents.
