UP man arrested for Rs 1.5 crore golden kalash theft during Jain event at Red Fort 

A man has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh for the audacious theft of ceremonial urns and other religious items valued at approximately Rs 1.5 crore from a Jain event held within Delhi’s historic Red Fort complex.

According to reports, the accused, identified as Bhushan Verma, was apprehended in Hapur. He is alleged to have stolen the valuables on September 3 during the 'Daslakshan Mahaparv', a significant 10-day religious observance that began on August 28 at the 15 August Park inside the Red Fort premises.

Police sources, cited by NDTV, confirmed that Verma, who does not belong to the Jain community, disguised himself in a traditional dhoti-kurta to mingle inconspicuously among the devotees.

Closed-circuit television footage from the event reportedly captured him making off with the items, which included a golden 'jhari' (urn), a gold coconut with a combined weight of around 760 grams and a second 115-gram gold 'jhari' intricately studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.

The stolen ritual objects were the property of a businessman, Sudhir Jain, who brought them to the site for daily prayers. Expressing the community's distress, Jain emphasised the sentimental value of the items, particularly the 'kalash'. "The thief took advantage of the crowd. The gems are just for aesthetics. But the 'kalash' is linked to our sentiments. We can't put a value on such an object," he told reporters.

Police sources further disclosed that Verma is not new to legal trouble and faces multiple existing criminal cases. Following the incident, an First Information Report (FIR) was registered under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Kotwali police station and a comprehensive investigation was launched.