n a shocking turn of events, an employee of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Mathura has fled with a large sum of donation money and a receipt book. Murlidhar Das, who was responsible for collecting and depositing donations on behalf of the temple, reportedly disappeared with the stolen funds, prompting a formal investigation.
According to PTI, the temple’s Chief Finance Officer, Vishwa Nam Das, filed an FIR late on Friday night after discovering the theft. The complaint was lodged with the Superintendent of Police (City), Arvind Kumar. The theft was first reported on December 27, 2024, when an application was submitted by Vishwa Nam Das to SSP Shailesh Kumar Pandey. Following a preliminary investigation, an FIR was registered.
The temple’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ravi Lochan Das, confirmed that Murlidhar Das was in charge of collecting the donations and depositing the money with the temple authorities. The exact amount of money that he had embezzled is yet to be determined after verification. Along with the stolen funds, Murlidhar Das also took a receipt book containing 32 sheets.
The suspect, Murlidhar Das, is identified as the son of Nimai Chand Yadav and a resident of Sriram Colony, Rauganj Vasa, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The police are actively investigating his whereabouts, and efforts are underway to track him down.
Interestingly, the temple had previously encountered a similar case, where an individual named Saurav had fled with a receipt book and donations. However, he passed away before the money could be recovered.
In a separate incident, the Delhi Police arrested a 35-year-old thief, Vipin Kumar, from Karawal Nagar in the national capital. Kumar was caught with five mobile phones and an auto used in his crimes, further highlighting the ongoing issues with theft across regions.
