Armed criminals attacked servitors and perpetrated a daring robbery at the 200-year-old Ramachandi temple in Ramnagar village in Odisha's Kendrapara district, the police said today.
Brandishing sharp weapons, the criminals numbering about six attacked the priests in the temple premises late last night and decamped with the booty, said Inspector Mahakalpada police station, Padarabind Tripathy.
The miscreants ran away with cash, gold, silver ornaments and other valuables of the Goddess. Unidentified criminals also broke open the hundis (donation box) and looted cash from it, he said.
As the priests raised an alarm, people chased the criminals while they were fleeing from the village. Their motor bikes slipped when they were on the run, forcing them to leave behind two motor bikes and a cell phone, police said.
Tracking the call details of the abandoned cell phone, the persons have been identified.
"We are hopeful of nabbing the culprits and making a recovery of the temple property in a day or two," Tripathy added.
