Orissa police on Wednesday claimed to have solved the mystery surrounding the series of burglaries in several temples including the 12th century Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri and its stolen Narayan idol was said to have melted into silver ingots.
Police made the breakthrough after arrest of a person by special squad of the crime branch, which was entrusted with the investigation last night, Director General of Police, N C Padhi saidin Bhubaneswar. The man, Prakash Patnaik alias Prakash Sahu (24), was held before he could board the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express at the railway station.
"During interrogation, Patnaik had confessed to have stolen the idols and gold jewellery from several temples since October 24 last including the Narayan idol from the Puri shrine on November 10 night," Padhi said. "Patnaik, who was formally arrested on Wednesday, had also committed burglary at the 11th century Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar on the night of November five last," he said.
The DGP said that Patnaik and his accomplice Santosh Das, had sold all the stolen idols and ornaments to jewellery shops located at Badabazar in Berhampur and the idols including that of Narayan had been melted into silver ingots. A Berhampur report said that the police had raided four jewellery shops in Badabazar area on Wednasday and arrested four persons in connection with the burglaries. Bureau Report