A 45-year-old man has been apprehended by police in Chhattisgarh for a series of thefts at temples in and around Durg. The perpetrator specifically targeted donation boxes, breaking into them to steal the cash inside. He would then leave without leaving any evidence behind.
The man confessed to the police that he committed these thefts as an act of revenge against God. He contracted Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) while in jail following an assault incident in 2011-12. This experience caused him to lose faith in God.
The accused stated that he chose to target temples to ‘show God his place.’ He admitted to committing ten thefts at temples in and around Durg. Police suspect that others might be involved. The suspect would change clothes before and after the thefts to avoid identification on CCTV. He also parked his scooter away from the temples. The recent theft took place on August 23-24 at a Jain temple. The police arrested him after questioning him the next day. The investigation started after a complaint was lodged, and the police used CCTV footage and the Trinetra app to catch him. The suspect started stealing from temples shortly after being released from jail in 2012.