A brass idol of Lord Vinayaka has been reported stolen from Venugopalaswamy temple, which is under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, at Bheema Nagar here.

Police sources said the temple priest completed the rituals on Monday night and locked the temple. On Tuesday morning, when he came to the temple, he found the small grille gate inside the shrine broken open and a brass idol of Vinayaka missing. 

Police believe that the culprits scaled the compound wall of the temple to gain entry to the rear side of the shrine to commit the theft. The weight of the idol is about 11 kg.  Information about the theft was conveyed to the temple executive officer, who alerted the jurisdictional police.

Police personnel conducted inquiries at the spot and examined the footage generated by the closed circuit television unit cameras to establish the identity of the burglars.  Based on a complaint from Temple Executive Officer Anuradha, the Sessions Court police registered a case under BNS sections 305 and 331 (4). Investigation is under way.