The Rs 1.5 crore gold idol melted culprit’s heart

He hoped that the theft would change his life

Aurangabad: The accused Arpit Jain has confessed to the police that he had planned to pay all the loans and change his life by stealing the gold idol of Lord Parshwanath worth Rs 1.5 crore in the Chintamani Parshwanath Digambar Jain temple in Kachner.

It was revealed on Saturday that a gold idol weighing 2 kg was stolen and replaced with a brass idol from a temple in Kachner. As soon as the complaint was filed by the temple committee, the rural police swung into action and solved the case within 36 hours. Arpit and Anil Vishwakarma were arrested from Makronia in Madhya Pradesh. The accused were remanded to five-day police custody. During interrogation Arpit confessed that he was serving as a servant in the temple. Seeing the gold idol, he thought of stealing the idol and paying off his debt of Rs 12 to 13 lakh. For that he took the help of another accused Anil. As Arpit did his graduation in Jaipur, he knew about the idol maker. Accordingly he made another exact idol of brass. As soon as the idol came in hand, he reached Kachner. He also put on saffron clothes so that he could enter inside the temple. Hence no one stopped Arpit. There were two people in the temple when Arpit changed the idol. However he replaced the gold idol with the brass idol he had brought hidden in a saffron robe when the attention of the priest was diverted.

Both the accused are married

Arpit got married while studying BA in Jaipur. His father passed away when he was in 10th standard. He has a daughter. Another accused Anil has completed B.Pharmacy. Sources informed that he is also married and is running a medical shop.