Calcutta, May 4 :     Silver and gold ornaments of goddess Kali were stolen from the sanctum sanctorum of the Sashan Kali temple adjacent to Siriti crematorium, in Behala, on Thursday. The temple is more than 100 years old, and the fifty-odd devotees who visited it on Thursday were shocked to find the idol bare of its ornaments, worth several lakh of rupees. The miscreants did not even leave behind the 20-ft-long gold-plated tongue of the goddess. A member of the temple's managing committee said a silver crown, three silver kangans, gold necklaces and ear-rings are among the valuables stolen. The main priest of the temple, Subhas Chakraborty, 70, registered a complaint with the Behala police station. The door of the inner room of the temple was closed every evening after arati, he told the police. 'The ornaments and other valuables were there when I locked the door on Wednesday evening,'' added Chakraborty, who lives just behind the temple. Residents of the area blamed criminals who had 'taken over' Siriti crematorium were responsible for the theft. 'They run the show, extorting money from those coming to cremate bodies,'' said Madan Chatterjee, resident of Pasupati Bhattacharya Road. The Mahesh Sharma gang operates in the area, the police said. The crimelord, who lives very close to the Kali temple, was arrested a few days ago on murder charges. South 24-Parganas' additional superintendent of police S.N. Gupta said officers from the Behala police station are investigating the case. 'Police are working on some leads. We hope to arrest the culprits shortly,'' he added. According to priest Chakraborty and a few elders of the locality, the idol of Kali was discovered more than a 100 years ago by some people clearing a portion of the jungle. A temple was built on the spot. The ornaments are said to have been donated by the legendary Bhattacharyas, Roys and Sens, erstwhile zamindars of Behala during the Raj.