Gandhinagar: Three individuals have been apprehended in connection with a burglary at the Khodiyar Mata temple located within the Varadayini Mata pilgrimage complex in Rupaal village, Gandhinagar. The theft involved the pilferage of cash from three donation boxes.
Recovery of Stolen Cash
Police officials confirmed that Rs 1.2 lakh was recovered from the suspects. However, the total amount stolen from the donation boxes remains undetermined as the donations have not yet been fully tallied.
Details of the Incident
The burglary occurred on May 25, prompting the registration of a case at the Pethapur police station. The local crime branch of Gandhinagar police was tasked with forming teams to trace the perpetrators. Investigators determined that motorcycles were used as a getaway vehicle. They also analyzed records of previous temple thefts that exhibited a similar modus operandi.
Arrest and Interrogation
On May 29, acting on a tip-off that three men on two motorcycles were traveling from Kalol towards Dhanaj with suspected stolen cash, police set up a blockade near the Dhanaj-Khorjapara crossroads. When the riders attempted to turn back upon spotting the police, teams pursued and detained them. During the arrest, police recovered currency notes concealed in a plastic bag along with a temple canopy, known as a 'chhattar'.
During interrogation, the men allegedly confessed to breaking open three donation boxes using iron rods, taking the cash and the canopy, and hiding the notes near the Banas riverbed in Sudosan village. They reportedly disclosed that they had planned to use the stolen money to purchase a car and were en route to do so when they were apprehended.
