A gold-plated urn worth nearly Rs 30 lakh was stolen from the spire of a Jain temple in North East Delhi’s Jyoti Nagar, in a daring late-night theft captured on CCTV cameras.
The incident came to light on Saturday morning when temple staff discovered the urn missing after reopening the premises, which had been closed as usual on Friday evening. The temple management immediately informed the police, and a case of theft was registered.
According to CCTV footage reviewed by investigators, the theft took place around 11.45 p.m. on Friday. The footage shows a man arriving at the temple and sitting near the entrance for a few minutes, apparently surveying the area. He then climbed onto the roof using nearby electric wires, reached the temple’s spire, and carefully removed the gold-plated urn before fleeing the scene.
The temple authorities said the urn had been installed atop the spire as part of the temple’s religious design and was made of metal plated with gold. Police officials confirmed that a forensic team was called to the site to collect evidence and that multiple CCTV cameras in the vicinity are being scanned to track the suspect’s movement before and after the theft.
Senior officers from the North East district police visited the temple and assured the management of swift action. Investigators are also trying to determine whether the thief had prior knowledge of the temple’s structure or acted on impulse.