Two nabbed for stealing snake idol from Delhi temple

The police recovered 800 grams of melted silver, allegedly belonging to a stolen temple idol in south Delhi’s Greater Kailash area, from a jeweller and another man, an officer said on Monday.

Mohit Sharma (40), allegedly stole a snake idol from Sanatan Dharma Satsang Sabha Temple in Greater Kailash-I and later melted it before selling the silver to a jeweller, he said.

Jeweller Bharat Gandhi (35) was also arrested for allegedly receiving the stolen property, the officer said. A sum of Rs 1.10 lakh, allegedly the sale proceeds, and a car used in the crime were also recovered.

An e-FIR was registered at the Greater Kailash-I police station on August 6 following the theft. During the investigation, CCTV footage from the temple and adjoining areas was analysed, helping the police identify and apprehend Sharma, the officer said.

During interrogation, Sharma allegedly disclosed that he had melted the idol and sold it to a jeweller in Karol Bagh. The team subsequently traced Gandhi and recovered around 800 grams of melted silver.