Temple burglary case cracked within 24 hours, suspect nabbed

A 27-year-old man was nabbed for allegedly stealing a donation box from a temple in Bharat Nagar, the police said on Monday. The arrest was made within 24 hours of the incident. They also recovered the stolen donation box from his possession.

According to the police, the accused has been identified as Ajay, alias Golu, a resident of Rana Pratap Bagh, Delhi. He was apprehended by a team from the Bharat Nagar police station. A case was registered against him under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

On August 6, the temple management informed the police that the donation box, containing coins and currency notes, had been stolen. The accused allegedly broke open the lock of the temple around midnight and fled with the donation box, the police said.

Following the complaint, an e-FIR was registered and an investigation was initiated.

Investigators analysed the CCTV footage from the temple. In the footage, a man was seen entering the temple after breaking open the lock and fleeing with the donation box. The police later examined the CCTV footage from nearby areas to trace the suspect’s escape route.

Based on a tip-off, the accused was arrested from his residence, the police said. During questioning, he allegedly admitted to committing the theft to fund his drug addiction. The police also recovered the stolen donation box, containing currency notes.

Further investigation revealed that Ajay was previous involvement in seven cases, including theft and offences under the Arms Act.