Mysuru: Burglars, who broke open into Sri Mahalakshmi Kollapuradamma Temple near Raghavendra Swamy Mutt on Narayana Shastry Road in city, have decamped with cash of nearly Rs. 20,000 collected in the temple hundi.

The burglars are said to have climbed the stairs of a building adjacent to the temple and gained entry into the temple by cutting open the grills of a window using a hacksaw late last night.

The burglars, after getting into the temple, forced open the lid of the steel hundi placed near the sanctum sanctorum and decamped with cash but left all jewellery and other articles untouched, it is learnt. The theft came to light when the temple priest K. Krishnamurthy came as usual for performing puja at 6.30 am today.

K.R. Police, who visited the spot, conducted mahazar and registered a case. Finger Print experts and Dog Squad were also pressed into service.

Temple Development Committee President M. Nagaraj told SOM that the hundi counting was due next week. There was no security personnel to guard the temple since the last one month and no CCTV cameras installed in the temple premises were working as the temple was all set for re-painting, he said and added that the miscreants have taken advantage of this to burgle the temple.