Jamshedpur, Dec. 21: The silver crown on a Hanuman idol, estimated at Rs 20,000, has been stolen from a temple in Bistupur on Tuesday.

R.D. Dwivedi, member of the Hanuman Akhara Committee, has lodged an FIR at the Bistupur police station, but no arrests have been made as yet.

Vice-president of the BJP (Jamshedpur), Vinod Pandey, called it a “serious” matter, especially since the crown went missing during the daytime.

BJP activists handed over a memorandum to the director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Ganesh Prasad, demanding an immediate arrest of the accused. Hindu devotees and BJP activists today staged a protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s office, demanding the arrest of the accused.

District president of the Gou Samardhan Prakosht, Saliesh Kumar Pathak, said the police should intensify patrolling in and around the temple during daytime.

“There were instances when brass bells and utensils were stolen. But it seems that the police have not learnt from past lessons,” Pathak said.

A police officer said: “Many garages and eateries have sprung up near the temple that draw a large crowd during the day. Taking advantage of the situation, the thieves might have stolen the crown.”