A quiet morning at a Jain temple in Bhandup turned into a mystery when a sacred silver urn kept before the idol of Lord Parshvanath went missing. Within just six hours of registering the complaint, the Bhandup Police cracked the case, tracking down and arresting the thief who turned out to be a notorious serial offender targeting Jain temples across Mumbai.
The theft took place on October 17, around 10:24 am, at the Jain temple in Ishwarnagar, Bhandup West. The temple trustees noticed the silver urn missing and immediately informed the police. After verifying details, the Bhandup Police registered an FIR on Sunday.
Once the case was registered, officers moved quickly. Under the supervision of Senior PI Balasaheb Pawar and PI (Crime) Nitin Chavan, the team began scanning CCTV footage from the temple and nearby areas. Within hours, they spotted a familiar face, Naresh Amarchand alias Agarchand Jain (50) a known thief with a long history of stealing valuables from Jain temples.
Naresh Amarchand alias Agarchand Jain (50). PIC VIA AISHWARYA IYER
With confirmation from the footage, the police gathered local intelligence and traced Naresh’s movements through informants. A trap was set at 5th Khetwadi Lane, Nalbazar in Girgaon, where the accused was hiding. The team waited patiently — and as soon as Naresh appeared, he was surrounded and caught.
According to police, Naresh, who lives in Khetwadi, Girgaon, has no steady job and is known to roam around temples looking for opportunities. Police said several cases of temple thefts are already registered against him at Na.M. Joshi Marg, Nagpada, Agripada, V.P. Road, and Mira Bhayandar police stations.
“The accused is a repeat offender and targets Jain temples because he’s familiar with their layout and rituals,” an officer said. “His arrest helped us link multiple temple theft cases across the city.”
The stolen silver urn was recovered, and further investigations are underway to trace other stolen religious artefacts connected to him.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of DCP Rakesh Ola (Zone 7), with the investigation officer being PSI Abhijit Tekwade, and the crime detection team.
