Temple thief who travelled across states, changed hideouts after every heist held in Delhi

New Delhi: A 44-year-old alleged inter-state temple theft kingpin, who specialised in stealing silver idols and donation articles from shrines across several states, has been arrested by the Delhi Police, an officer said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Mohit Sharma alias Mama, was declared a proclaimed offender by a Punjab court in connection with a temple theft case and was wanted in multiple cases registered in Punjab, Kerala, and Karnataka, he said.

According to the police, Sharma constantly changed hideouts and travelled across states while maintaining minimal local contacts to evade arrest.

"Sharma had developed a pattern of scouting poorly guarded temples, particularly those located in secluded areas, before carrying out thefts during late-night or early morning hours," the officer said.

The accused primarily targeted silver idols, donation boxes, religious ornaments, and other valuables kept inside temple premises. Sharma was apprehended after officers of the crime branch received a tip-off about his movement in Delhi, he said.

"A trap was laid near Patiala House Court on Sunday when the accused allegedly arrived to meet one of his associates. On spotting the police team, Sharma attempted to flee but was chased and overpowered after a brief pursuit," the officer said.

During interrogation, Sharma told police that he had studied till class 9 and earlier worked at a dairy in his village, where he came in contact with a man named Kulwant Singh, who allegedly trained him in committing temple thefts.

Police said Sharma subsequently became involved in several temple theft cases across different states and remained absconding for a long period. He was formally arrested after completion of legal formalities.

"Sharma was wanted in a 2024 temple theft case registered in Khanna police station in Punjab and was also allegedly involved in cases registered in Kozhikode and Ernakulam in Kerala, besides a case in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district," the officer said.

Police records further showed Sharma’s alleged involvement in several older criminal cases, including theft, robbery, Arms Act, and Gangsters Act cases registered in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi.