Police crack Maninagar temple theft, accused arrested with stolen mobile phones

The Maninagar police have arrested a man in connection with a theft reported from the Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan temple near the old railway crossing in Maninagar. The accused allegedly broke into the temple's storeroom on the night of July 27 and stole two mobile phones.

As per the FIR lodged at Maninagar police station, the unidentified thief gained entry into the temple premises late at night and broke open the lock of the storeroom located beneath the main sanctum.

A special team was formed to solve the case. The team examined CCTV footage from the temple premises, nearby public roads, and the city control room to trace the suspect.

The investigation led them to Maninagar railway station, where the suspect, identified as Parth Janakbhai Vaghela, a resident of Vadodara, was apprehended. Upon searching him, police recovered the two stolen mobile phones.

During interrogation, Vaghela revealed that he currently lives in Bharuch with his uncle due to strained relations with his father. He works in the GIDC industrial estate in Rajpipla and claimed that financial distress had driven him to commit the theft. He told police that he had earlier conducted a recce of both Kalupur and Maninagar Swaminarayan temples.

On the night of the incident, Vaghela entered the temple premises before the gates were closed and roamed the area pretending to be a devotee. Once the opportunity arose, he broke into the storeroom, believing it might contain valuables as it was located beneath the sanctum and often accessed by temple monks.

Police are conducting further interrogation to determine if Vaghela has any prior criminal record or if others were involved in the crime.