Police in Thane, Maharashtra, arrested a burglar for allegedly breaking into a temple and fleeing with a donation box in a bizarre incident. The break-in was reported by the police from the Lord Hanuman temple near the Khopat Bus Depot in Thane (W), Hindustan Times report read.
The temple’s priest, Mahant Mahavirdas Maharaj, reported the incident to the police. The theft occurred between 8 and 9.30 pm on Tuesday, according to the complainant’s statement.
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During that time, the priest was said to have gone out to do some work. He returned to find the donation box in front of the idol had vanished. According to the report, the priest informed that the amount in the donation box was Rs 1,000.
The police then looked at the temple’s CCTV footage and saw a young man enter the temple and touch the idol’s feet before picking up the donation box and fleeing. A second accomplice was said to have been waiting outside the temple and was seen leaving with the first accused.
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“We started making inquiries with residents of the area around the temple, working on the assumption that a local would be in the best position to know when there would be the least number of people present in the temple. We showed stills from the CCTV footage to a large number of locals and got several leads as to the identity of the suspects,” senior police inspector Sanjay Dhumal, Naupada police station told Hindustan Times.
The police began rounding up suspects after conducting investigations. As a result, they were able to apprehend Rabodi resident Kejas Mhasde. After further investigation, his involvement in the theft was confirmed, and he also revealed the identity of his accomplice.
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Both of the defendants were arrested late Thursday night. The donation box and Rs 536 in cash were also recovered from the accused.
