Thieves strike Achabal shrine, loot donation box

Anantnag, Oct 17: In a shocking incident, miscreants targeted a revered shrine in the Achabal area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, making off with a donation box containing cash. Locals suspect drug addicts were behind the theft.
Locals said that the thieves lifted the donation box from the shrine and abandoned it at a nearby location after looting the cash. The box was damaged during the incident. The local populace has expressed outrage and demanded swift action against the perpetrators.
“This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. We urge the authorities to take stern measures to prevent these sacrilegious acts,” said a local resident.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and initiated an investigation. “We are working to identify the culprits and bring them to justice,” said a police official.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend in Kashmir, where thieves have targeted donation boxes at various shrines. Alarmingly, many arrested perpetrators have been identified as drug addicts.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for increased security measures at religious sites to prevent such incidents in the future. [KNT]