New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police have arrested Bhushan Verma (50) and two others for stealing gold items during a religious event at the Jain Parv Pandal near Red Fort. The theft occurred on September 3, during the Jain Samaj Pooja celebrations (August 28 – September 9).
Police recovered a golden Jhari (725 grams), 100 grams of melted gold, and Rs10,400 in cash from the accused. Verma, a resident of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly disguised himself as a priest to gain access to the site undetected.
According to DCP (Crime) Pankaj Kumar Singh, Verma meticulously planned the theft. He studied Jain religious events and pooja schedules via social media, visited the location two to three times beforehand to assess security patterns, CCTV blind spots, and crowd movement.
“He intentionally avoided using a mobile phone to leave no digital footprint,” Singh said. On the day of the theft, Verma blended in with devotees by wearing priest-like attire and stole a golden Jhari, golden Jag, and golden Bariyal from the pandal.
Police identified Verma from CCTV footage and connected him to a previous 2016 theft case at a hospital, where he had been caught stealing purses.
A raid conducted at his residence in Hapur led to his arrest and the recovery of one major stolen item. Further investigation led to the arrest of two accomplices:
Gaurav Kumar Verma – receiver of stolen gold
Ankit Patil – mediator in the theft and sale
Both are also residents of Hapur.
The recovery and arrests have brought relief to the Jain community and event organizers, as the theft had caused considerable distress during the ongoing religious festivities.
