₹1.75 crore gold, diamond jewellery stolen from Jain temple

The theft came to light on Monday morning when one of the priests, identified as Krishna, noticed that the temple’s door latch had been broken. He alerted Rashmi Bhai Shah, director of the temple trust, who then informed Jain. Upon inspection, the jewellery adorning the idol was found missing

Mumbai: Gold and diamond jewellery worth ₹1.75 crore has been stolen from a Jain temple located in the premises of One Avighna Tower, a housing complex in Lalbaug, police said.

₹1.75 crore gold, diamond jewellery stolen from Jain temple

According to the Kalachowki police, an offence has been registered against an unidentified accused under sections 305 (theft in a dwelling house, place of worship, or during transportation) and 331 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The complaint was filed by Jayesh Jain, a resident of One Avighna Tower and an executive member of the trust managing the temple.

Police said the temple of Lord Simandhar Swami is located within the residential complex. “The idol was adorned with gold and diamond jewellery. The temple is opened daily at 5 am and closed at 9 pm by three priests,” an officer from Kalachowki police station said.

The theft came to light on Monday morning when one of the priests, identified as Krishna, noticed that the temple’s door latch had been broken. He alerted Rashmi Bhai Shah, director of the temple trust, who then informed Jain. Upon inspection, the jewellery adorning the idol was found missing.

“Gold ornaments including armbands, forehead pieces, a neck garland, and jewellery for the hands and legs, weighing around 1.4 kg and valued at approximately ₹1.5 crore, along with a diamond tilak worth ₹25 lakh, have been stolen,” the officer said.

Police have examined CCTV footage and identified a suspect. “Teams are tracking the accused, and we expect to apprehend him by Wednesday,” the officer added.

Jain, the complainant in the case, said, “We are coordinating with the Kalachowki police and have confidence in them. They are doing a good job, and we should see results soon.”