Hyderabad: An attention diversion gang fled with silver ornaments of the deity at Sri Venkateshwara Swamy temple near police quarters in Amberpet, on Wednesday.

Masquerading as devotees, the thieves approached the temple priest to perform ‘archana’. Claiming that they had no change, they gave the priest a Rs 500 note. They requested the priest to get them some change. And, no sooner had the priest left to get the change, they decamped with the ornaments.

“The moment the priest went out of the temple to get the change, the crooks stole silver ornaments, including a crown of the deity, and fled the spot,” said M. Ravinder Reddy, additional inspector, Amberpet.