CHENNAI: The Elephant Gate police have arrested a 60-year-old man from Maharashtra for allegedly orchestrating a series of high-value thefts at Jain temples across Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka, according to a press release issued on Thursday.
The suspect, identified as Jeevan Singh of Havali Taluka, Pune, was apprehended by a special team following an intensive investigation into a burglary reported last year at the Sri Chandraprabhu Jain Naya Mandir on Mint Street.
According to the official statement, the theft was discovered on February 14, 2025, when the temple’s general secretary, Suresh Kumar, found the locks broken and several ornaments missing.
The stolen items included five silver crowns weighing approximately 10 kg and gold strips weighing approximately 600 grams, which had been stripped from the deities.
CCTV footage from the crime scene showed a masked individual using a torchlight to navigate the temple premises. Further coordination with law enforcement revealed the same individual was involved in robberies at two Jain temples in Telangana. Investigators also discovered that Singh was a habitual offender who had previously jumped bail in a Karnataka case.
Acting on intelligence that the suspect was hiding in Pune, a special team led by an Inspector travelled to Maharashtra and arrested Jeevan Singh on February 8, 2026. Based on his confession, the police also arrested Rajpau Rathore, 30, who allegedly purchased the stolen jewelry. While Rathore was released by a magistrate in Navi Mumbai, a transit warrant was granted for Singh, who was brought to Chennai on February 11 and remanded to judicial custody. Investigations confirmed that Singh’s crime spree extended to Jain temples in Salem, Chengalpattu, and various locations across South India.