Jewellery worth ₹13.54 lakh goes missing from Kalbadevi temple lockers

Jewellery worth ₹13.54 lakh has gone missing from the lockers of Vitthal Rukmini Temple in Mumbai. A case has been registered against unknown trustees.

Mumbai: A case has been registered against unknown persons after jewellery worth ₹13.54 lakh went missing from the lockers of Vitthal Rukmini Temple, Kalbadevi. According to the police, the jewellery was last seen in 1990 after which several trustees changed and one of them has usurped the valuables.

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“We have registered a case against unknown trustee/s as they only handled the lockers. The lockers had a silver crown, gold chains, idols and gold and silver ornaments valued at ₹13.54 lakh,” an officer from L T Marg police station said.

According to the police, the temple is over 250 years old, and the temple trust was formed in 1953. There have always been three to seven trustees in the body since then.

The police said they have registered the case based on a complaint lodged by Sarayu Kapadia, manager, Vitthal Rukmini Temple Trust. He has been the manager since 2010. According to the complainant, the locker where the valuables were kept had a key and the key was always kept only with the trustees.

“Since 1990 to 2018, there have been several trustees and managing trustees on the body of the temple and the locker was last opened in 2018 when they found the 18 valuable items missing and approached us. We have registered a case now under section 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code and are investigating the matter. Several of the trustees have already died and others who are alive are also senior citizens which will make our investigation further difficult,” the police officer said.

The temple has also informed the Charity Commissioners office in Worli as it is registered with them.