Thieves target church in Chandigarh, steal ₹50,000

Police said the incident came to light on Saturday when Kejus Rayappen, who lives inside the church premises, noticed the broken locks lying on the floor.

Thieves decamped with ₹50,000 after breaking locks of a donation box inside Christ the King Cathedral Church in Sector 19.

A case under Sections 380 (theft in dwelling house) and 457 (lurking house trespass) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the accused at the Chandigarh Sector 19 police station. (HT file photo)

Police said the incident came to light on Saturday when Kejus Rayappen, who lives inside the church premises, noticed the broken locks lying on the floor.

“The CCTV camera footages showed that five men entered the premises around 2.30am and stole the cash. Attempts are being made to ascertain the identity of the accused,” said a police official privy to the matter.

Case Registered

A case under Sections 380 (theft in dwelling house) and 457 (lurking house trespass) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the accused at the Sector 19 police station.

Earlier on August 3, thieves had stolen ₹30,000 from the cash box kept at a gurdwara in Sector 11. On July 28, ₹5,000 was stolen from Sanatan Dharam Panch Mukhi Hanuman Mandir. On July 25, thieves struck twice in the city and decamped with more than ₹35,000 and silver items from two temples located in Sectors 33 and 43.