Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the theft of gold ornaments from idols at the historical Ramna Kali Temple in Dhaka. The arrests were made during a midnight operation conducted by law enforcement authorities in the capital’s Uttarkhan area on Saturday night.
The suspects have been identified as 29-year-old Lipi Karmakar, her husband Arnab Roy, aged 29, and 35-year-old Md Suman.
According to the Shahbagh Police Station, the incident took place on 7 October at the prominent Ramna Kali Temple, situated within the verdant grounds of Suhrawardy Udyan in central Dhaka. Following the burglary, investigators meticulously reviewed closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to trace the perpetrators. The surveillance recordings enabled officers to pinpoint the prime suspects and track their movements.
In a joint raid carried out by Shahbagh police officers and intelligence agency personnel, Lipi and her husband Arnab were apprehended at a rented residence in Dhobadia, Uttarkhan. During preliminary interrogations, the couple disclosed crucial information regarding the disposal of the stolen property. Acting on these confessions, police raided a local jewellery shop in Dhobadia and arrested Suman, the shopkeeper accused of purchasing the stolen gold.
Inspector (Operations) Khokon Mia of Shahbagh Police Station confirmed that during initial questioning, the accused confessed to their direct involvement in stealing the gold ornaments from the deity. The suspects have since been produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Dhaka, with police applying for a remand order to facilitate further interrogation.
Law enforcement agencies revealed that this incident forms part of a broader pattern targeting places of worship. Investigating officers noted that similar thefts of gold ornaments have recently occurred across multiple locations, including the Siddheswari Kali Temple in the capital, the Sri Sri Lokenath Temple in Deobhog, Narayanganj, and another prominent Kali temple in Narsingdi district. Notably, the heist at the Siddheswari temple took place on 13 September, preceding the Ramna incident by less than a month.
The theft at Ramna Kali Temple has sent shockwaves through the local community, coming at a sensitive time amidst preparation for major religious festivities. Religious sites across Bangladesh have increasingly beefed up security measures in response to a spate of burglaries targeting valuable brass and precious metal ornaments adornments on traditional deities. Authorities stated that ongoing investigations will determine whether the arrestees belong to an organized syndicate specialising in religious shrine thefts across the Greater Dhaka region.
