MUMBAI: A 19-year-old youth was arrested by the Kandivali Police for breaking open the donation box of a temple in Kandivali West and stealing cash. With the arrest of the accused, Arman Shaikh, the police solved two other offences of theft, one in a wine shop in Andheri and another at a temple in Borivali.
The latest incident was reported at a Ganesh temple in Kandivali in the intervening night between May 13 and 14. The temple authorities found that the donation box was smashed and a sum of Rs 60,000 had been stolen. An FIR was registered by the Kandivali Police. Investigators went through footage from cameras in the vicinity. They found that two individuals were involved in the theft and they had travelled to Kandivali by train from Naigaon. After a thorough investigation, Shaikh was nabbed from Ekta Nagar creek area.
Shaikh has a prior history of four offences, including thefts in other temples, motorcycle theft and a case of child sexual abuse. Police said he lives at Rathodi village in Malwani. The arrest was made by a police team supervised by DCP Sandip Ghuge and senior inspector Karan Sonkavde.
The police investigation revealed that Shaikh and his accomplice had targeted the temple after conducting a reconnaissance. They used a hammer to break the donation box and fled with the cash. The police are now searching for the second suspect. Shaikh was produced before a local court and remanded to police custody for further interrogation.
This arrest highlights the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance and police vigilance in solving multiple crimes. The Kandivali Police have urged citizens to report any suspicious activities near religious places. They also advised temple authorities to install better security measures.
About the Author: Nitasha Natu is a Senior Assistant Editor with the Times of India and writes on gender, human rights, road safety and law enforcement. She has received the Laadli Media & Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity in 2021. She tweets @nnatuTOI
