Delhi Police on Monday said they had arrested a man from Hapur in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the theft of a gold, diamond-studded ‘kalash’ worth Rs 1 crore. The item was stolen from a religious event held in a park near the Red Fort. The accused was picked up by the crime branch late Sunday night.
When the news of Kalash’s stolen spread, there were rumours that at least three Kalash were stolen during the religious event. Special investigation team were formed and raids were conducted in various cities. Now the police said that they have arrested one of the accused, Bhushan Verma. The rest are absconding. Bhushan Verma was seen in the CCTV footage and is been questioned.
The Jain community ritual has been taking place in August Park near the Red Fort since August 28 and will continue till September 9. A special stage has been set up for the event. Wearing a dhoti and ‘ang vastra’ is mandatory, and only those dressed in these clothes are allowed to participate in the ritual.
Who Is Bhushan Verma?
According to police, Bhushan Verma is a resident of Asoda village in Uttar Pradesh. He is reportedly an expert in stealing urns or ‘kalash’ and has a history of thefts from Delhi’s Lal Mandir and a temple in Ashok Vihar. Five cases have already been registered against him. Bhushan owns a car, and the police recovered an urn-like object from his house. Investigations revealed that he reached the site disguised as a Jain monk. He had been visiting the area for several days, dressed in a dhoti and angavastra, and mingling with people involved in the ritual. Taking advantage of this, he reached the stage and committed the theft at the first opportunity.
How Did He Steal The Kalash?
As soon as he arrived at the venue on September 3, Bhushan Verma entered the Jain ceremony in the guise of a Jain monk. Security and other personnel were preparing to welcome the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, who was the chief guest of the program. Businessman Sudhir Jain had brought two gold urns worth Rs 1.5 crore for the puja. Both urns were packed in a bag and kept in the kitchen area. While everyone was busy with the welcoming, the accused picked up the urns and fled with the bag. Police investigations revealed that one urn contained a coconut weighing about 760 grams of gold, while the other was studded with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.
