Thane police urge religious shrines to conduct background checks on priests, employees

Thane Police urge religious shrines to conduct background checks on staff after a tragic assault. Activists call for enhanced security to protect visitors.

THANE: The Thane Police Commissionerate has urged religious shrines within their limits to undertake background checks on priests and other staff members to ensure the safety of visiting women and children.

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This initiative follows a tragic incident where a priest and caretaker of a temple near Ambernath sexually assaulted and murdered a 30-year-old woman in June after she left her home. Following this, activists of Thane District Bhoomiputra Sanghatana, a religious organisation, wrote a letter to senior police officials in Thane to demand enhanced security at temples by conducting background verifications of priests, caretakers, and other staff members who work in the temples. “Temple priests and caretakers have exploited the trust placed in them to commit crimes,” said a member of the organisation, who requested anonymity.

Recently, there have been multiple incidents of theft, sexual assaults and murder at various religious shrines in the Thane district. In many cases, the culprits have been caretakers or priests who exploited the community’s trust to commit the crimes.

The Thane police responded by ordering local stations to collect information on all caretakers and priests. This action aims to enhance women’s safety in temple areas, amid growing concerns over violence against women.

“Just as we conduct background checks on renters from different areas, we can verify the caretakers of all religious shrines who come from various places,” said an officer from the Thane police. “While it is not mandatory, it should be done for the safety of the community. Additionally, these sites should implement CCTV surveillance and other safety measures to help prevent crime.”

Abhimanyu Gaikwad, a member of the historic Tisai Devi temple in Kalyan, expressed support for this initiative. “I will share this with our mandal to verify the people we employ on a temporary basis. While everyone currently working in our temple are villagers we have known for a long time, this is a good step for the safety of all devotees.”