Major Temple Heist in Ahmedabad: 5kg Silver Ornaments Worth ₹7.8 Lakh Stolen
In a shocking incident, unidentified thieves targeted a revered Jain temple in the Kalupur area of Ahmedabad, making off with a substantial haul of silver ornaments valued at nearly ₹7.8 lakh. The brazen theft occurred on Sunday night, with police launching an investigation on Monday after a formal complaint was lodged.
Discovery of the Theft
The theft came to light early Monday morning when temple priest Nemchand Jani, who has served at the Mahavir Swami Jain Derasar for the past decade, opened the temple at approximately 6:15 AM. To his dismay, he found the door of the sanctum sanctorum ajar. Upon entering, he immediately noticed that the silver ornaments adorning the idols were missing.
Jani had securely closed the temple around 7:15 PM on Sunday, making the overnight break-in all the more alarming. A quick inspection revealed that the iron bars and grille of a window located above the sanctum had been forcibly broken, providing clear evidence of how the intruders gained entry.
Trustees Alerted and Investigation Initiated
Fellow trustee Ketan Zaveri promptly alerted Soumil Bhavnagari, a 57-year-old resident of Satellite and one of the temple trustees, via a phone call around 7:30 AM on Monday. Bhavnagari rushed to the derasar, where other trustees and the priest had already gathered to assess the situation.
During a joint inspection, the trustees compiled a detailed inventory of the stolen items. The loot included:
- Three silver crowns weighing approximately 1.4kg
- 135 'tika' ornaments with a total weight of around 1.3kg
- 11 'kapali' ornaments weighing about 2.47kg
- 11 small 'bhramar' pieces totaling roughly 30g
- Two 'chakshu' ornaments weighing approximately 20g
The cumulative weight of the stolen silver ornaments was estimated at 5.2kg, with an approximate market value of ₹7.83 lakh. In a calculated move, the thieves also severed the cables of the CCTV cameras installed at the temple, likely to avoid being captured on video.
Police Response and Ongoing Probe
Soumil Bhavnagari filed an official complaint at the Kalupur police station, leading to the registration of a case against unidentified persons. The Kalupur police have since launched a comprehensive investigation into the theft, examining the crime scene for clues and pursuing all possible leads.
This incident has sent shockwaves through the local Jain community and raised concerns about the security of religious institutions in the area. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward as they work to apprehend the culprits and recover the stolen sacred ornaments.
