Shimla: Man Caught Red-Handed Stealing from Temples, Cash and Idols Recovered

Shimla, May 13:
A man accused of stealing cash and valuable idols from donation boxes at two temples in Chidgaon, Shimla district, has been caught red-handed with the help of temple committee members and local residents. The thefts had been reported at Shri Durga Mata Temple in Kharsali and Shri Narasimha Devta Temple in Khoptuwari village.

Repeated incidents of theft had left the Durga Mata Temple Committee concerned, prompting them to file a formal complaint with the Chidgaon Police Station. Based on this, a case has been registered under Sections 305(D) and 331(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

According to the complaint lodged by Mahendra Singh (44), son of Karam Chand and president of the Durga Mata Temple Committee, donation boxes at the temple were broken into multiple times—on March 17–18, April 13–14, and April 21–22, 2025—resulting in the theft of approximately ₹60,000 in cash.

Another incident took place on May 3, when donation boxes at both the Durga Mata Temple and Narasimha Devta Temple were targeted. This time, the thief got away with around ₹10,000 in cash, ₹25,000 meant for community meals, two brass and copper vessels, and an ashtadhatu (eight-metal alloy) idol of Lord Narasimha.

To counter the ongoing thefts, the temple committee and local villagers stepped up security and surveillance. On the night of May 11, they caught a young man inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple under suspicious circumstances.

The suspect was identified as Ravindra Kumar (24), son of the late Ramesh Dutt Sharma, a resident of Nerbagh village, Churdhar Post Office, Rajgarh Tehsil, Sirmaur district. During initial interrogation, Ravindra confessed to being behind all the thefts at both temples in March, April, and May. He also revealed that he had hidden the stolen ashtadhatu idol in a forest near Gumma School.

Chidgaon police have launched a full investigation and are working to recover the remaining stolen items and cash. Locals have praised the vigilance shown by the police and temple committee.

Rohru DSP Pranav Chauhan confirmed on Tuesday that the suspect has been arrested and legal proceedings are underway. He will be produced in court for remand.