• Source:JND
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For nearly a decade, robberies were taking place in temples in and around the areas of Chhattisgarh’s Durg. Money quietly disappeared from the locker and the donation boxes of temples. For a long time police were not able to track the thief as he left with no trace behind him.
 
Finally, a 45-year-old man was arrested for carrying out a series of thefts, which he called  an “act of revenge against god".
 
The accused, an HIV-positive individual, confessed to police that his experiences led him to question his faith. He attributed his contraction of the virus during a 2012 jail term for an assault case to an "act of God." Feeling betrayed, he targeted temples as a form of revenge against the higher power.
 
 
The man would only steal cash from donation boxes, leaving jewellery untouched. Although the man has confessed to theft 10 times, police believe that he has been involved in many others.
 
“He would change clothes before and after each theft to avoid being recognised in CCTV footage, and always parked his Jupiter scooter far from the crime scene,” police said.
A latest theft occurred on the night of August 23-24, when an individual broke into a Jain temple located on the outskirts of Durg. Fortunately, the accused was apprehended the very next day during interrogation. Authorities successfully recovered stolen coins valued at Rs 1,282 and the perpetrator's scooter.
 
The thefts involved meticulous planning and execution. After his release from prison in 2012, he began targeting temples, often following a similar pattern:
 
-He would first conduct surveillance of the temple.

- Returning the next day on his scooter, he would park at a distance, change clothes, and break in.

- After stealing, he would flee through back lanes, change clothes again, and return home.
 
 
The accused has confessed to committing thefts in at least 10 temples across various police jurisdictions, including Nevai, Supela, Padmanabhpur, Bhilai Bhatti, and Bhilai Nagar. Authorities suspect that the actual number of incidents may be higher, given the accused's modus operandi and the areas he targeted.