Kali jewelry theft from Bangladesh temple caught on camera, man pockets crown gifted by PM Modi and leaves

An alleged video of the theft of the crown of Goddess Kali, gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Jeshoreshwari temple in Bangladesh, has surfaced online. Temple staff in Satkhira reported the gold and silver plated item missing on Thursday (October 10), The daily star he said.

Watch the video here:

Modi presented it to the temple as a gift during a visit in 2021. India urged Bangladesh to investigate the reported robbery, which occurred in broad daylight between 2 pm and 2:30 pm.

In the alleged video, an unidentified man can be seen entering what is possibly the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. He takes the article from the idol’s head and simply pockets it. He then leaves and is also captured by CCTV cameras outside.

According to reports, the crown was stolen when the temple priest, Dilip Mukherjee, left after the day’s service. The cleanup crew later discovered he was missing, The daily star he said.

“We are analyzing the CCTV footage of the temple to identify the thief,” said Inspector Taizul Islam of Shyamnagar police station. The stolen item has religious significance for devotees as the Jeshoreshwari temple is one of the 51 shakti pithas.

The incident comes amid the Navratri festival, during which nine incarnations of the Hindu deity Durga are worshiped. Kali is also one of these forms.

In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka expressed deep concern over the theft and called on authorities to recover the article and take action against the perpetrators.

“We have seen reports of the theft of the crown gifted by PM Modi to the Jeshoreshwari Kali (Satkhira) Temple in 2021 during his visit to Bangladesh,” he said. “We express deep concern and urge the government of Bangladesh to investigate the theft, recover the crown and take action against the perpetrators.”

Central government sources said New Delhi is deeply disturbed by the reported theft. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka is in touch with authorities on the matter, they said.

Sources said law enforcement authorities in the neighboring country have been asked to investigate the incident, recover the stolen item and hold the culprits accountable.

(With PTI inputs)