Man Arrested For Stealing Rs 78 Lakh Gold Necklaces From Gujarat Temple

A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing gold necklaces worth Rs 78 lakh from an ancient temple of Goddess Mahakali located atop Pavagadh Hills in Gujarat's Panchmahal district, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, Vidurbhai Vasava, was arrested from Surat more than a week after he allegedly stole six gold necklaces worth Rs 78 lakh and two gold-plated items from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple on October 28, they said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Himanshu Solanki said the theft case was solved by local crime branch (LCB) sleuths using human sources and technical surveillance, which involved scanning footage from nearly 150 CCTV cameras set up in and around the temple.

During the analysis of CCTV footage, the LCB noticed a man moving suspiciously near the temple on a motorcycle a day before the crime. The police managed to ascertain his identity as one Vidurbhai Vasava, a resident of Umarpada in Surat.

A Panchmahal police team reached Vasava's home, around 200km away, and caught him. On questioning, he admitted to having committed the theft, Solanki said.

The gold jewellery and other items stolen from the temple were recovered from his possession, the SP informed.

"The accused used his own motorcycle to visit Pavagadh to commit the crime. He used a hall with ventilation on top of the temple to enter the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum)," the LCB said in a press statement.

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