India ‘concerned’ about theft of crown gifted by Modi to Satkhira temple

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has expressed its concern over the theft of a crown gifted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a temple in Satkhira.

In a statement on Friday, the high commission called for action on the matter.

 “We have seen reports of theft of the crown gifted by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in Satkhira District in 2021 during his visit to Bangladesh,” it said.

 “We express concern on the incident and urge the Government of Bangladesh to investigate the theft, recover the crown and take action against the perpetrators.”

Several media outlets reported on the theft of the crown from the historic temple on Thursday afternoon, citing the temple management committee. The reports said that police and army personnel had gone to the scene and were conducting an investigation.

CCTV footage from the temple’s cameras show a middle-aged man entering the temple at 2:49pm. He looked around before breaching a cloth curtain and taking the crown.

The thief, who wore jeans and a white T-shirt, wrapped the crown in his T-shirt and left the temple uninterrupted.