Gopalganj/Patna: Police in Gopalganj say they have solved the Rs 1.08 crore theft at the Thawe Bhawani Temple in Gopalganj with the arrest of the alleged mastermind, a repeat offender who investigators claim relied heavily on online tools and popular culture to plan the crime.
The accused, Deepak Rai, was arrested from Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh following a five-day operation that involved 12 special investigation teams conducting raids across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Police said the search for his accomplice was continuing.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Gopalganj superintendent of police Awadhesh Dixit said investigators used CCTV footage, mobile phone data and technical surveillance to trace Rai’s movements. He was detained in the Jamunia police station area of Ghazipur and later confessed during interrogation, police said.
According to investigators, the theft took place on the night of December 17, when the suspects entered the temple’s sanctum sanctorum and removed gold and silver necklaces from the idol of Goddess Durga, along with a crown kept in a locker. A donation box weighing about 50kg was also taken. The total value of the stolen items has been estimated at Rs 1.08 crore.
You may like to read this:
Police allege that Rai carried out detailed reconnaissance of the temple days in advance. He is said to have searched extensively on Google and YouTube for information about the shrine, its layout and the ornaments used on the deity, and even watched films depicting thefts to refine his methods. Data recovered from his mobile phone reportedly showed repeated searches related to the temple and the value of gold jewellery, both before and after the crime.
Dixit said Rai, described as a “professional temple thief”, had previously been involved in similar offences. In March 2025, he was arrested for a theft at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, and was released from jail on November 13. Soon after his release, police say, he began planning another burglary, surveying the Thawe temple as well as a large shrine in Pune.
Investigators said Rai conducted reconnaissance on the nights of December 10 and 11, mapping entry and exit routes. On the night of the theft, he and his accomplice allegedly accessed the temple using a rope from a house under construction behind the premises.
You may like to read this:
JD(U) MLA Fulfils Vow by Offering New Crown and Ornaments to Thawe Bhavani After Temple Theft
Police have recovered a rod cutter, clothing worn during the crime, a motorcycle, a bag allegedly used to carry the jewellery, and Rai’s mobile phone. However, the stolen ornaments have not yet been recovered. Police say Rai passed them on to another accomplice to avoid being caught with the valuables.
The second accused has been identified and raids are under way to arrest him. Dixit said action had also been initiated against police personnel found negligent in safeguarding the temple, while stressing that no member of the temple administration had been implicated.
Authorities said they were confident the remaining accused would be arrested and the stolen jewellery recovered soon.
