Navi Mumbai: A 22-year-old temple priest was arrested by Nerul police for allegedly stealing a gold mangalsutra worth around Rs 15 lakh from the idol of Kamakshi Devi at a temple on the campus of SIES College in Sector 5, Nerul, on Thursday.
Theft Detected Within Two Hours
The theft was detected within two hours after a police complaint was lodged by Ramnath Subramanyam, 54, the trustee of Sri Bhakta Aanjaneya Trust. The trust maintains and manages the Uttara Kamakshi Ambal Temple in Nerul in association with the South Indian Education Society (SIES). The complainant stated that the stolen gold mangalsutra, of South Indian design, weighed around 9-10 grams and was valued at approximately Rs 15 lakh.
Arrest of the Accused Priest
Ajay Kamble, senior inspector of Nerul, identified the arrested accused as Kartik Ramdas Bairagi, a native of Madhya Pradesh. Bairagi had been serving as a priest at the temple for about three months. He performed pooja rituals in the sanctum sanctorum along with three other priests. The theft came to light on Tuesday around 5:30 pm when another priest entered the sanctum sanctorum for rituals. Trustee Subramanyam immediately alerted the Nerul police station.
Kamble said, "Our police team reached the temple for inquiry. There is no CCTV camera inside the sanctum sanctorum, where only priests are allowed. Devotees seek blessings from outside. Since the theft occurred while devotees were present, suspicion fell on the four priests. They were questioned by recreating the crime scene. Priest Kartik Bairagi's version of performing routine pooja did not match the others as he took longer, making him the prime suspect. After giving evasive replies, he confessed to stealing the gold ornament out of greed."
Recovery of Stolen Ornament
Kamble added, "Bairagi led us to his room in the residential quarters for priests on the college campus, where he had hidden the stolen gold ornament inside an air cooler fan. The accused was arrested after registering an FIR for theft at a place of worship. On June 12, the Belapur JMFC court remanded him to police custody for three days."
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