Bengaluru: A woman's gold chain was snatched from outside a temple window while she was attending prayers in Bengaluru's Shankar Nagar area. The incident reportedly took place at the Ganesh Temple on October 10 and was captured on video by a fellow devotee.
Video Shows Theft In Temple
The video shows the elderly woman, dressed in a blue saree, seated near a window, reciting prayers along with other devotees. Suddenly, a man from outside the window extended his hand and grabbed the gold chain from around her neck. The thief managed to flee the scene with half of the chain, weighing approximately 30 grams, according to an India Today report.
Following the incident, the woman filed a complaint with the police. Local police have since collected CCTV footage from the temple and are actively investigating the case to track down the thief.
Thief Returns Stolen Idol In UP
Meanwhile in another incident, a stolen Ashtadhatu (eight-metal alloy) idol of Radha-Krishna was returned to the Gau Ghat Ashram temple in Shringverpur, Prayagraj on Oct 1. eight days after its theft, accompanied by an apology letter from the thief. The thief, in the letter, expressed deep remorse, attributing nightmares and his son’s illness as reasons for returning the sacred idol and sought forgiveness from the temple authorities.
The idol, more than 100 years old and of great spiritual significance, had been stolen from the Shri Ram-Janki Temple at Gau Ghat Ashram a week earlier. The theft occurred after the temple's lock was broken and the idol was taken. Despite detaining two suspects, the police were unable to recover the idol until it was found on Tuesday, abandoned near the Handia-Kokhraj highway. A passerby spotted the idol and informed the temple's head priest.
When police and temple officials arrived at the scene, they found the idol along with a letter of apology from the thief. The thief confessed to stealing the idol for monetary gain and revealed that he had tampered with its appearance by polishing it, in hopes of selling it. He explained that he had been plagued by guilt and personal misfortune, including his son’s sudden illness, which led him to return the idol.
The police returned the idol to the temple's head, Falahari Mahant Swami Jayaram Das Maharaj, who performed purification rituals, including a ceremonial bath with Ganga water, before reinstalling the idol in the temple. The temple authorities accepted the thief’s apology, bringing closure to the incident.
