A daring burglary unfolded at the Shri Shantadurga Temple located in Ambekhan Vaddo, Verem, where four thieves executed a meticulously planned rooftop heist. To gain access to the premises, the suspects first damaged a window and entered through the priest’s kitchen. Demonstrating unusual agility, the perpetrators then climbed onto the temple’s roof and removed the traditional mud tiles to penetrate the main structure.
Once inside, the suspects bypassed the religious idols and directly targeted the temple’s financial offerings by breaking open two separate donation boxes. Temple officials estimate that the thieves successfully decamped with a cash haul ranging between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000. Fortunately for investigators, the entire sequence of the break-in—from the initial kitchen entry to the looting of the boxes—was captured clearly on the temple’s CCTV surveillance system.
Local law enforcement, led by the Saligao police, immediately launched an investigation after the temple purohit discovered the breached donation boxes early in the morning. Forensic teams were dispatched to collect fingerprints and physical evidence from the damaged window and removed roof tiles. The incident has raised significant security concerns among the temple committee and local devotees, as reports indicate this is the second time the historic Verem temple has suffered a burglary within the past year.
