The NRI Coastal police have arrested two men for allegedly stealing silver idols and a donation box from a temple in Seawoods on Tuesday. The accused were arrested the following night after they were identified in the CCTV footage. The two allegedly stole seven silver idols and money from donation box to pay for their drug addiction.
According to the NRI Coastal police, the accused have been identified as Vipul Jadhav, 20, and Salman Khan, 19, both residents of Karave village. The accused duo broke the lock of Laxmi Nayaran temple in Sector 36 at Karave village in Seawoods in the early hours of Tuesday.
“Both the accused have criminal antecedents of committing thefts to pay for their drug usage. Taking advantage of shut temples, the men broke into the temple by breaking the lock at the gate,” said an officer from NRI Coastal police station.
The men decamped with seven silver idols of several deities from the temple weighing about 1 kg collectively, along with puja instrument and donation box containing ₹10,000. They were captured in the CCTV camera near the temple, based on which they were identified.
The police managed to trace the suspects in the same village while they were trying to sell the idols to a jeweller. Before the men could make the transaction, officials nabbed them. At the time of their arrest, police were only able to recover six idols from their possession.
{{/usCountry}}The police managed to trace the suspects in the same village while they were trying to sell the idols to a jeweller. Before the men could make the transaction, officials nabbed them. At the time of their arrest, police were only able to recover six idols from their possession.
{{/usCountry}}Officers said they suspect that the accused spent the cash, while an investigation is ongoing to recover the remaining idol and another puja instrument.
Officers said Jadhav has five other cases of theft against him at NRI Coastal police station while Khan has only one case of theft against him at Sanpada police station. The duo planned to steal the idols from the temples as no devotees are frequenting temples during the pandemic.