New Delhi: A thief, disguised as a priest, made off with valuables including a
jewelled gold urn studded with diamonds and emeralds worth over Rs 1 crore from the site of a Jain Samaj religious ritual at the Red Fort in Delhi on Wednesday. This happened at the 15 August Park, the police said.
CCTV footage showed the man placing the items in a bag before walking away. Puneet Jain, one of the organisers, claimed that the suspect had committed thefts three times earlier in temples while disguised as a priest.
The stolen items include a large gold ‘jhari’ weighing approximately 760 grams, a coconut made of gold, and a smaller ‘jhari’ studded with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
“A big gold ‘jhari’, weighing 760 grams, a gold coconut and a small ‘jhari’ studded with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, were stolen from the Red Fort premises during a religious ritual held on the premises of the Red Fort. Businessman Sudhir Jain used to bring Kalash for worship every day,” a senior police official said.
“The suspect’s activities have been captured in CCTV footage. He has been identified and we hope to arrest him soon,” the official added.
The event will continue till September 9. On the day of the theft, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was among the guests. The organisers were busy welcoming him when the theft took place.
Security has been tightened around the premises after the incident, the police said.
