Nagpur: An unidentified thief allegedly broke into the Ambika Devi Temple in Itwari area and stole around ₹70,000 in cash from the temple donation box, police said.

The theft took place between 10 pm on August 18 and 4:30 am on August 19 at the temple located near the vegetable market in the Tehsil-Shanti Nagar police station area.

According to the complaint filed by Ratilal Raut (60), who is engaged in private work and looks after the temple, the temple was opened around 8:30 am on August 18. After the day’s routine, he locked the temple’s main door at around 10 pm and returned home.

At around 4:35 am on August 19, Raut received a phone call from Prabhat Avthankar, a resident living near the temple, informing him that the temple’s main door was open and its latch appeared to have been broken. He also informed Raut that the donation box inside the temple appeared to have been broken open.

Raut immediately reached the temple and found the main door open, with its lock latch damaged. Upon entering, he noticed that the lock of the steel donation box was missing. The cash kept inside the donation box, estimated at ₹70,000, had also been stolen.

Police suspect that an unidentified person broke the temple’s main door latch, entered the premises and subsequently broke open the donation box before fleeing with the cash.

Based on Raut’s complaint, Tehsil police registered a case against an unidentified accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police are investigating the theft and efforts are underway to identify the accused.