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Burglary at Ashok Vihar church, second incident in less than two months
New Delhi: Burglars broke into St. Jude Thaddeus Church in north Delhi’s Ashok Vihar near Gulabi Bagh, ransacked the religious structure, and decamped with valuables
New Delhi: Burglars broke into St. Jude Thaddeus Church in north Delhi’s Ashok Vihar near Gulabi Bagh, ransacked the religious structure, and decamped with valuables worth around R3 lakh in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, police said.
This is the second burglary in the same church in less than two months. The church authorities have alleged police inaction and the police’s failure to nab the suspects in the first case, which they claimed led to the second incident.
“Separate first information reports (FIRs) have been registered in connection with the two burglary incidents. But, the police have not been able to nab the thieves,” said Father Noby Kalachira, the chief priest of St. Jude Thaddeus Church.
The first burglary took place in the intervening night of April 18 and 19, when the lockdown was imposed across the country to stem the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The church was locked because religious activities and gatherings were banned in religious establishments as per the government’s lockdown guidelines.
According to Father Kalachira, the thieves entered the church after breaking the exhaust fan installed at the ventilator. They ransacked the church and took away all valuables, which could pass through the ventilator space.
“The stolen items included 12 microphones, amplifiers with speakers, a monitor displaying the CCTV footage and a vacuum cleaner. The office of the church was also ransacked and the offering box was also broken,” the church authorities said in a statement, adding, that a case was registered but neither the suspects were caught nor the stolen items were recovered.
During the inspection of the church, Father Kalachira said, the police brought to their notice that the four CCTV cameras installed in the church were not functioning between 7pm and 7am.
“We got the issued rectified the same day. However, it made no difference to the thieves as a second burglary took place in the intervening night of June 14 and 15,” he said.
This time, Father Kalachira said, the thieves took a more daring step and entered the church through a window after cutting its iron grill. They again ransacked the church and decamped with many valuable items, including gold and silver Cross and things used for Holy Mass such as chalices, patens, ciboriums and kappas, said Father Kalachira.
“The thieves also took away the digital recorder in which the footage of the CCTV cameras was stored. The new monitor, which was installed after the first one was stolen, is also gone,” he added.
Deputy commissioner of police (north) Monika Bhardwaj said that separate cases were registered in the two burglary incidents. “Teams have been formed to identify and nab the thieves. Our probe is on,” she said.
Investigators suspect that somebody living in the neighbourhood could be involved in the two burglaries. “The burglars knew that the issues with the CCTVs were rectified after the first burglary and the cameras were functioning properly. This is why they took away the digital video recorder,” said an investigator, requesting anonymity.
