Dhaka [Bangladesh], October 11 : India is deeply disturbed by the reported incident of theft of a religious article from a temple in Bangladesh, and has urged Bangladesh law enforcement authorities to investigate the matter, and bring the guilty to book, according to sources.
The sources stated that the High Commission in Dhaka is in touch with Bangladesh authorities regarding the incident.
A crown of the Goddess Kali has been stolen from the Jeshoreshwari temple in Satkhira's Shyamnagar. This crown was gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the temple in March 2021, as reported by The Daily Star.
"BD law enforcement authorities urged to investigate the incident, recover the stolen article and bring the guilty to book," the sources said.
Meanwhile, the High Commission of India in Bangladesh expressed deep concern and urged the Government of Bangladesh to investigate the theft.
"We have seen reports of theft of the crown gifted by PM Modi to Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple (Satkhira) in 2021 during his visit to We express deep concern & urge Govt of Bangladesh to investigate theft, recover the crown & take action against the perpetrators," the High Commission wrote on X.
https://x.com/ihcdhaka/status/1844611078686208421
The theft occurred on Thursday between 2.00 pm and 2.30 pm, after Temple Priest Dilip Mukherjee left following the day's worship. The cleaning staff later found that the crown was missing from the deity's head, as reported by The Daily Star.
"We are reviewing the temple's CCTV footage to identify the thief," Inspector Taizul Islam of Shyamnagar Police Station was cited the Bangladesh daily.
The stolen crown, made of silver and gold-plated, holds significant cultural and religious importance.
According to Hindu mythology, the Jeshoreshwari Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths scattered across India and neighbouring countries. The name "Jeshoreshwari" means "Goddess of Jeshore." PM Modi visited the Jeshoreshwari Temple on March 27, 2021, during his trip to Bangladesh.
On that day, he placed the crown on the head of the deity as a symbolic gesture.