Mumbai, July 15, 2013: Thieves, who had struck a Lord Shiva temple at Mulund, seem to have had a change of heart and dumped the Shiv Lingam they had stolen in the bushes close to the temple.

On June 28, thieves had struck the temple located near Kamgar Hospital at Mulund (West) and made away with gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 3.61 lakh. However, last Wednesday, investigating authorities found the Shiv Lingam worth approximately Rs 1.5 lakh in the bushes close to the temple.

An official from the Mulund police station said, “When we were inspecting the surroundings we found the stolen Shiv Lingam in the bushes behind the temple. We suspect the thieves might have tried to return the Shiv Lingam after feeling guilty of stealing it. It was the costliest of all the items that had been taken away.”

The theft
According to authorities, the theft came to light when the temple priest informed them of the crime. In his statement to the authorities, Manoj Joshi, the priest, said, “My brother Bhavesh had locked the temple and returned home after 9.30 pm. At 3.30 am, I received a call from a local that the locks of the temple had been broken following which I reached the spot and informed the police of the items that were stolen.”

The unidentified accused has been booked under sections 380 (theft in dwelling house) and 457 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night) of the Indian Penal Code. 

Source: Mid Day, DT. July 15, 2013.