Ahmedabad: The city crime branch has cracked the case of silver worth ₹1.64 crore stolen from a Jain temple in Paldi. All five accused — including three who executed the theft and two who bought the loot — have been arrested. The police also recovered 48.056 kg of silver valued at ₹49 lakh, ₹79,000 in cash, four mobile phones, and a pickup van used in the crime.

The key accused, Mehul Rathod, had served as a priest at the Shri Laxmivardhak Jain Derasar for 15 years. He, along with the temple cleaner Kiran Devipujak and his wife Hetal, had access to the premises, making them prime suspects from the start. The temple trustees had filed an FIR last week reporting that 117.336 kg of silver ornaments, crowns, kundals, and decorative pieces were missing. Rathod was later identified as the mastermind.

Using CCTV footage and technical surveillance, the crime branch tracked the suspects. Acting on a tip-off, a team intercepted a commercial vehicle near NID Circle and caught Rathod and Kiran with cut silver pieces, tools, and cash from recent sales.

During interrogation, Rathod admitted to stripping silver from idols over the past two years and selling it to Ronak Shah and Sanjay Jagariya. Both buyers were arrested, and more stolen silver was recovered from their homes.

All five accused have been booked under Sections 305(D), 306, 54, and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). DeshGujarat