'Kalash' worth Rs 1 crore stolen from religious event in Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) A 760-gram gold 'kalash' embedded with precious jewels was stolen from a Jain religious event taking place near the Red Fort here, an officer said on Saturday.

The vessel stolen on Wednesday was embedded with 150 grams of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, he said.

The incident occurred between 9.20 am to 10 am at the August 15 Park where the vessel was placed for show, the officer said. The item may have been swiped when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla came to the event and people thronged for his welcome, he said.

According to the complainant, Sudhir Jain, businessman and a resident of Civil Lines, he brought the 'kalash', which is worth around Rs 1 crore, daily for rituals, he said.

The ceremony began on August 28 and will conclude on September 9.

A special stage was erected for the rituals, where only authorised persons in traditional dhoti-kurta were allowed to sit.

"On Tuesday, Jain once again brought the urn and placed it at the designated spot. People sat around it as the prayers began. At the same time, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla arrived for the function. Organisers and attendees moved to welcome him, diverting attention away from the stage," the officer said.

By the time they looked back, the urn was missing.

Initially, it was thought to be misplaced, but once the programme ended and the search yielded nothing, Jain lodged an e-FIR at Kotwali Police Station.

Police said that the suspect must have been doing recce for days and disguised himself in traditional clothes and familiarised himself with the community members.

"Preliminary findings suggest that the suspect had been frequenting the venue for several days dressed in dhoti-kurta to blend in with devotees. He mingled with the organisers and managed to sit on the stage. When the opportunity arose, he allegedly stole the urn and fled," the officer added.

The Delhi Police said that the CCTV footage has captured the activities of a suspect, who has been identified.

Puneet Jain, the event organiser, told PTI that a few bags and other expensive belongings besides the 'kalash', were stolen.

"Devotees from across Delhi and other states have come here for the gathering. We have already handed over the CCTV footage to the authorities. We hope that the accused are nabbed soon," he said. PTI SSJ VN VN