A shocking incident of theft has come to light from the Shri Sewri Jain Sangh temple located in Sewri, Mumbai. An unidentified thief reportedly entered the temple through a window and decamped with valuables worth Rs7.15 lakh, including gold ornaments, a silver crown, and cash. The Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg Police have registered a case of burglary and launched a manhunt based on CCTV footage.
The incident is believed to have taken place between 8 PM on Tuesday and 5:30 AM on Wednesday at the Shri Sewri Jain Sangh temple, situated on the third floor of Moolraj Bhavan on A.D. Marg in Sewri. Bipin Chhaganlal Lalan, a 57-year-old businessman and a resident of the area, is a member of the temple trust and manages temple-related affairs. He owns a retail oil paint shop in Sewri. The temple, managed by the Shri Sewri Jain Sangh Trust, is a well-known religious place in the locality. The priest, Hitenra Singh Devendra Singh Parmar, performs daily rituals at the temple.
According to routine practice, the priest opens the temple around 5:30 AM for cleaning and morning prayers. The temple remains open for devotees throughout the day and closes at 8 PM. On Wednesday morning, as the priest entered the premises, he discovered signs of theft. He immediately informed Jitendra Chheda, a member of the temple trust. Upon inspection, they found the donation box open and the main wire of the DVR system cut. Preliminary investigations revealed that the thief had entered the temple through a window during the night and stolen valuables worth Rs 7.15 lakh, which included various gold ornaments, a silver crown, and Rs 5,000 in cash.
Following the report, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Marg Police visited the scene and registered an FIR based on the complaint lodged by Bipin Lalan. The police have seized CCTV footage from the temple and the surrounding society premises. Efforts are on to identify and trace the accused using the available video evidence.
The burglary has sparked outrage among local residents and devotees, who have expressed concern over the security of religious places in the area.