NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has arrested three men in connection with the Jain Parv Pandal theft near Red Fort and recovered a large gold kalash, melted gold, and Rs 10,400 cash, officials said.
The main accused has been identified as Bhushan Verma (50), a resident of Hapur in Uttar Pradesh. He researched Jain temple events, including the pooja schedule, on social media, and conducted two to three days of recce at the site to study crowd flow, CCTV coverage, and security routines.
“Verma, posing as a priest, blended into religious gatherings. He avoided carrying a mobile phone to minimise digital traces. Believing that costly gold articles would be available at the Jain temple and pooja pandal, he executed the theft on September 3 using priest-like attire to merge with devotees and avoid detection,” DCP(Crime) Pankaj Kumar Singh said.
The incident took place on September 3 during the Jain Samaj Pooja (August 28 to September 9) at Jain Parv Pandal, Red Fort, where the theft of one golden Jhari, one golden Jag, and one golden Bariyal was reported.
“During probe, police checked the CCTV footage and identified Verma, who had earlier been apprehended in a 2016 hospital theft, where he was caught red-handed by security staff after stealing purses. A raid was conducted on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday at his residence in Hapur, and he was arrested with the golden Jhari,” the DCP said.
Police recovered the golden Jhari (725 gm), 100 gm of melted gold linked to other articles, and Rs 10,400 cash. His associates and the receiver were also arrested in the case. They have been identified as receiver Gaurav Kumar Verma and mediator Ankit Patil, both residents of Hapur, UP.