Five Arrested in Sanand Umiyadham Temple Theft; Stolen Silver Idol Melted into Bullion

The Sanand Police of Ahmedabad Rural have solved the burglary at the renowned Umiyadham Temple on the Sanand Bypass within days of the incident, arresting five members of an alleged interstate gang and recovering property worth ₹8.5 lakh, including silver bullion believed to have been fashioned from the stolen temple ornaments.

Police said the accused had meticulously planned the theft by studying the temple on Google Maps, conducting reconnaissance of the premises and sharing screen recordings of the route among themselves before executing the burglary.

According to police, the theft took place between 2 am and 2.30 am on July 17, when the accused allegedly broke the lock of the sanctum sanctorum of the Umiyamata Temple and decamped with a silver umbrella weighing around 2.5 to 3 kg, a silver idol weighing approximately 500 grams, and other articles collectively valued at around ₹3 lakh. A case was subsequently registered at the Sanand Police Station.

The investigation was carried out under the guidance of senior police official, police inspector B.T. Gohil leading the probe through multiple surveillance teams.

Five arrested

The arrested accused have been identified as:

• Laxman Prabhulal Hiraji Gurjar (18), a labourer from Bhilwara district, Rajasthan.
• Kishan alias Kano Prabhulal Hiraji Gurjar (24), a driver and brother of Laxman, also from Bhilwara.
• Mukeshnath alias Rajeshnath Shankarnath Kalbeliya (27), originally from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, presently residing near Sanand.
• Sureshnath alias Surjanath Prabhunath Kalbeliya (22), originally from Jaipur district, Rajasthan, currently living near Sanand.
• Ajaynath Pappunath Kalbeliya (19), originally from Rajsamand district, Rajasthan, presently residing near Sanand.

Police said the investigation relied on a combination of technical surveillance, CCTV footage, intelligence gathering and monitoring of known property offenders operating in the region.

Silver melted after theft

During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed that the stolen silver articles had been transported to Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, where they were melted into silver bullion in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Police recovered a 2-kg silver bar, believed to have been produced by melting the stolen temple articles, along with a Mahindra Bolero pick-up vehicle allegedly used during the crime and five mobile phones.

The total seizure includes:

• A 2-kg silver bar valued at ₹3 lakh.
• A Mahindra Bolero pick-up valued at ₹5 lakh.
• Five mobile phones worth approximately ₹50,000.

Digital planning and reconnaissance

Investigators said the burglary was carefully planned.

According to police, the two Gurjar brothers, who allegedly used to transport goods between Rajasthan and Gujarat using the seized Bolero pick-up, routinely travelled across Gujarat, staying inside their vehicle for several days while identifying vulnerable locations.

Police said the prime accused searched for temples on Google, examined photographs of the Umiyadham Temple online, and concluded that valuable silver offerings were likely to be kept inside. He allegedly visited the temple beforehand to study entry and exit points, mapped the route using Google Maps, recorded the navigation route on his mobile phone and shared the screen recording with the remaining members of the gang before carrying out the theft.

Investigators further said the group finalised its plan near an Essar petrol pump, from where some members were dropped close to the temple while the vehicle was parked nearly five kilometres away to avoid attracting attention.

Police added that one of the accused deliberately switched off or avoided carrying his mobile phone during the burglary because he was familiar with police methods of tracking suspects through mobile tower locations.

Money allegedly spent after theft

During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that the melted silver bullion was sold to a jeweller for around ₹95,000. According to investigators, part of the proceeds was spent on diesel for the vehicle, while another ₹10,000 was allegedly offered at a temple as a religious offering in the belief that it would help them avoid arrest.

Police said that following the theft, the two Gurjar brothers returned to Rajasthan while the remaining accused continued to stay in temporary settlements in the Bopal and Sanand areas.

Shares their own 'Caught in the act' reel

Days after committing the theft, after the video of their act went viral on social media, one of the members shares this reel with the song 'Chor Chor Machaye Shor' with his gang involved in the act on What's App.

Links to other theft cases

Police suspect the gang was involved in several property offences across Gujarat.

Investigators said Kishan alias Kano Gurjar already has two criminal cases registered against him, including one at Sanand Police Station and another at Sabarmati Police Station involving theft-related offences. He had also come under police scrutiny in connection with earlier investigations into generator thefts and alleged plans to commit tyre thefts in the Isanpur area.

The remaining accused, police said, do not have any known criminal antecedents.

Officials added that members of the gang, many of whom worked as daily-wage labourers or scrap collectors while staying in temporary settlements, allegedly used their occupations as a cover to conduct reconnaissance before targeting temples and other properties.

Further investigation is underway to determine whether the group was involved in similar temple burglaries elsewhere in Gujarat and neighbouring states.