In a shocking incident, a Hindu temple in California was raided by burglars who stole a donation box from the premises on Monday. According to a report by the Sacramento Bee newspaper, the incident took place on Monday at the Hari Om Radha Krishna Mandir in the Parkway neighbourhood at about 2:15 a.m. and the Sacramento Police Department is investigating the burglary at the Hindu Temple.
Although police did not disclose what was stolen, dispatch audio indicated a donation collection box was taken.
Dispatchers told people that six suspects were seen on the grounds through surveillance video, including two who were inside the temple, when police were called, the report added. Police said no arrests have been made, but the incident remains under investigation.
"Hate crime"
Meanwhile, condemning the incident, the US-based advocacy organisation Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has asked the Sacramento Police to take this issue very seriously and investigate it as a potential hate crime.
Guru Maharaj and his wife were at home when they received an alert. "The first thing I saw was the curtains blowing and I said, 'Oh, my God. Somebody is in the building,' " Maharaj's wife was quoted as saying by the CBS news.
As footage from the temple showed, someone tried to break through three doors and a car. "They went right through to the donation box in darkness," Maharaj said.
The footage shows the thieves lifting the box up and carrying it out behind the building. They hoisted the box, which reportedly weighed close to 100 pounds, over the fence then shoved it in a getaway car and took off.
"It's a very big hit to our community and we're here to help people out," Maharaj said.
(With inputs from agency)
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