A 12 kg silver idol of Lord Parshvanath was stolen from the Digambar Jain temple of Sukhi Sevaniya in Bhopal, in the night of Tuesday thieves entered the temple by breaking 5 locks.
They also took away 50 silver crowns (Chhatrs) and a box full of silver idols. The Ashtadhatu idol of Lord Adinath was also stolen. The total value of the stolen goods is around Rs 16 lakh.
Digambar Jain Temple is in Ahimsa Sthali Colony of Sukhi Sewania. This colony is close to the railway station. On Wednesday morning, the police and FSL team went to the temple and investigated. The thieves have been revealed in the CCTV footage. Police have registered an FIR on the complaint of temple general secretary Mukesh Jain.
This is the second incident of theft in Digambar Jain temple in Bhopal in 3 days. Earlier on Sunday night, miscreants had stolen the idol of Lord Parshvanath by breaking the lock of the sanctum sanctorum of Panch Balayati Digambar Jain temple in Neelbad. This idol of Ashtadhatu is about 7 inches high and weighs 8 kg.
Mukesh Jain told that the campus of Ahimsa Sthali Colony is completely covered. The thieves cut the mesh on the boundary wall after this, 5 locks on the main gate of the temple were broken.
CCTV footage showed that they entered the temple at 2.28 am. A silver idol weighing 12 kg, an Ashtadhatu idol of Lord Adinath, 50 silver umbrellas and 8 auras were stolen. Also took a locker. Many silver idols were kept in it.
The thieves also tried to break away the safe full of cash. After failing, they came out of the temple at 2.44 am and ran away. Three thieves had entered the temple while two of their accomplices are believed to be standing outside to keep watch. Police also suspect that an outside gang may be involved in the incident.
At present the construction work of the temple is going on, hence the deity was consecrated in a nearby room for the darshan of the devotees. Police estimate that there were more than one miscreants and they had come by car. This is because in the CCTV footage, a car is seen stopping at a short distance from the temple at night.
