Burglars strike at three temples on single night

CUDDALORE: Burglars struck at three temples in the district on Sunday night.In the first incident, burglars reportedly broke open the grill of the nearly 100-year-old Tharaikatha Kaliamman temple situated in the heart of the city, on Pudhupalayam Main Road and looted Rs 5,000 from the temple hundi. Similarly, a silver item was stolen from the Vellankatha Vinayagar temple near the Gadilam river. The door of the temple was found broken. According to the temple administration, the silver ‘vel’ that was stolen was worth Rs 16,000. In the last incident of burglary reported on Sunday night, a silver jewel was stolen from the the Logambal temple at Vanniyarpalayam. Cases were registered with the Cuddalore New Town police. Sunday night’s incidents came close on the heels of failed burglary attempts at a co-op bank and a jewellery outlet last week, following which, the police stepped up security measuresThese spate of incidents have evoked concern among the locals. As Balamurugan, a local resident, put it, “Burglaries and attempted thefts are on the rise in the town. The Tharaikatha Kaliamman temple was located only 200 metres from the NT police station. Police should intensify patrol and arrest the miscreants immediately so that we can live peacefully.”