Vagabond Caught Stealing Temple Idols

Delhi Police said on Friday that officers had arrested a 45-year-old man accused of stealing an antique Ashtadhatu idol of Shani Dev and other brass articles from a 104-year-old temple in Chandni Chowk, one of the capital’s busiest market districts. Police said a woman who allegedly bought the stolen items was also arrested, and all of the property had been recovered. The theft was reported from Prachin Shri Shiv Nav Grah Temple, according to police and local media reports. The case was disclosed a day before the article was published by Hindustan Times on May 16. ### Which temple was targeted, and what was taken? Prachin Shri Shiv Nav Grah Temple in Chandni Chowk was the site of the theft, police said. The missing property included an antique Ashtadhatu idol of Lord Shani and other brass articles kept at the temple. (hindustantimes.com) The 104-year-old temple was identified by police in accounts carried by Hindustan Times and other outlets on May 15 and May 16. The reports said the theft drew attention because the idol and articles were taken from a long-established shrine in the Old Delhi market area. (hindustantimes.com) ### Who did police arrest? Delhi Police identified the main accused as Dilshad, also known as Banta, a 45-year-old man described in reports as a burglar or vagabond. Police also arrested a woman accused of buying the stolen items after the theft, according to the same reports. (hindustantimes.com) Police said Dilshad had previously been involved in 15 criminal cases, including 12 burglary cases. That detail was reported by Hindustan Times and Rediff from police statements released on Friday. ### How did investigators trace the stolen idol? Police said officers used CCTV footage analysis and other investigative work to identify the suspect after the theft at the temple. (hindustantimes.com) Reports citing police said the investigation was treated as a priority because of the nature of the stolen property and the temple involved. Maha Shani Jayanti was cited by Rediff, reporting police comments, as one reason the case was pursued urgently. That report said investigators moved quickly to recover the idol before related religious observances. ### Were the idols and brass items recovered? Police said all stolen items had been recovered, including the Ashtadhatu idol of Shani Dev and the brass articles taken from the temple. (rediff.com) Hindustan Times reported on May 16 that the recovery had already been completed by the time police announced the arrests. MSN and other pickup reports also said the property was recovered in full. Those reports matched the police account that the case had been solved within days of the theft. ### Is this an isolated case in Delhi? Hindustan Times reported separately on May 12 that Delhi Police had arrested another alleged temple-theft suspect wanted in multiple states. (hindustantimes.com) That report described a 44-year-old man accused in thefts involving temple idols and donation articles across Kerala, Karnataka and Punjab. (msn.com) A separate Hindustan Times report from late 2025 said police had arrested a man accused of stealing a brass idol and cash from a southwest Delhi temple. Those cases do not establish a broader trend by themselves, but they show that temple theft investigations have remained active in and around Delhi. (hindustantimes.com) ### What happens next in the case? Delhi Police said the accused had been arrested and the stolen property recovered, leaving the criminal case to proceed through the usual investigation and court process. The named temple, the recovered idol and the two accused are likely to figure in the next formal steps, including filing of records and production before the court, as is standard in such cases. (hindustantimes.com) (qa-hindustantimes.com)