Two minors detained for allegedly stealing offering box from Bengaluru temple: Report

Bengaluru's Chamarajpet police recover stolen donation box, link minors to multiple thefts.

Bengalur's Chamarajpet police have taken two minors into custody for allegedly stealing a donation box from the Venkataramanaswamy Temple in Bengaluru's Kaniyara Colony, reported Deccan Herald. The incident took place on February 12.

Two teenagers steal offering box from a Bengaluru temple, detained.

According to the report, the donation box was placed outside the temple for devotees to offer contributions but was left unsecured.

The theft came to light when Srinivas, the temple manager, arrived at the premises around 7 am and noticed the box was missing. He promptly reported the matter to the police, estimating that the stolen box contained approximately ₹2,000.

Following the complaint, the Chamarajpet police registered a case and launched an investigation, leading to the detention of the two minors.

During the probe, officers not only recovered the stolen donation box but also seized an autorickshaw valued at ₹90,000 and five stolen two-wheelers worth ₹2.39 lakh.

Further inquiries revealed that the two suspects were linked to at least eight other theft cases across Bengaluru, including multiple incidents of two-wheeler theft. The minors were subsequently presented before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) for legal proceedings.

Bengaluru has witnessed a surge in robbery and theft cases in recent weeks. In a separate incident, a 32-year-old bank manager from West Bengaluru found that her gold ornaments, which were kept in a locker at her workplace, had gone missing. The Basaveshwaranagar police suspect the involvement of an insider in the theft. According to the manager, accessing the locker required both the customer’s key and a master key, which were usually kept in the bank’s cash box. She said that someone may have taken her locker key from her bag and used it to steal the ornament.