In one of the clips, a man can be seen climbing down from a pole at the temple premises after allegedly stealing the gold-plated urn, while another video shows him carrying the kalash under the cover of darkness.
File Photo: IANS
A gold-plated kalash (urn) worth nearly Rs 40 lakh was allegedly stolen from the spire of a Jain temple in Delhi’s Jyoti Nagar area, the Delhi Police said on Sunday.
In one of the clips, a man can be seen climbing down from a pole at the temple premises after allegedly stealing the gold-plated urn, while another video shows him carrying the kalash under the cover of darkness.
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The incident occurred during the night between Friday and Saturday, when most residents in the area were occupied with Karva Chauth celebrations.
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According to police, the stolen kalash, crafted from ‘asth-dhatu’ (an auspicious alloy of eight metals), was installed atop the temple several years ago. It contained roughly 200 grams of gold and is estimated to be worth between Rs 35 and Rs 40 lakh.
The theft was reported to the Jyoti Nagar police station on Saturday morning after a temple staff member discovered the missing kalash and informed the management, police said.
The complainant, Neeraj Jain (58), a resident of East Jyoti Nagar and president of the temple committee, informed the police that the kalash installed on the temple’s spire had been stolen by an unknown individual, officials said.
“Teams have been formed to identify and apprehend the suspect. Technical surveillance is being utilised to track his movements,” the officer stated.
On September 3, during a Jain religious procession near the Red Fort attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, three gold ceremonial items—a large ‘jhari’ (urn), a ‘jag’ (pitcher), and a ‘bariyal’ (container)—worth around Rs 1.5 crore were stolen. Delhi Police later arrested three individuals from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the theft.
This marks the second theft of Jain ceremonial items in the past two months.
“The Jain community is deeply hurt by this incident. Our temples must be protected to ensure devotees can pray in peace. The SHO has assured us that the stolen kalash will be recovered soon and returned to the temple,” said Priyank Jain, vice president of the Jyoti Nagar Jain Temple.
Rajesh Jain, former president of the Jyoti Nagar Digambar Jain Mandir, stated, “The police, including the DCP, ACP, and SHO, are personally overseeing the case. The Kalash holds immense spiritual importance for us, and the police have been providing us with regular updates. We remain hopeful that the case will be resolved soon.”
Further investigation into this case is underway.
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