An 18-year-old youth in Jaipur, Rajasthan, stole a 1,100-year-old Ashtadhatu idol from a historic temple in Amer. Believing the idol concealed a precious Neelam (sapphire) and hidden treasure, the accused was arrested after a thorough investigation involving CCTV footage analysis and mobile data records. The stolen idol was found concealed in a field among crops.
Police were alerted about the theft from the Thakur Lakshmi-Narayan Temple on June 5. Following a complaint, a case was registered at the Amer Police Station, causing concern among local residents. The accused, who had been visiting the temple for months, stole the idol during a power outage, damaged it, and hid it in his field to evade detection.
The accused, suspected of searching online about ancient idols’ value, believed the idol contained a valuable gemstone, particularly a sapphire. To divert suspicion, he participated in protests demanding the idol’s recovery while monitoring police activities. After his arrest, the idol was recovered based on his information during interrogation.
Police efforts included examining CCTV footage from various locations and analyzing mobile data. The accused, Naresh Sharma, confessed to the crime during questioning. The recovered Ashtadhatu idol, a significant religious and historical artefact, is around 1,100 years old and is being investigated further for potential connections to idol-smuggling networks.
