Temple Tech Theft: Uncovering the Pilgrimage Phone Heist

A man, Praveen Kumar, was arrested in Delhi for stealing mobile phones from religious sites in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Police recovered 12 phones, with some linked to temple thefts. Kumar admitted to working with an accomplice to target crowded holy sites for expensive phones.

A 37-year-old man, identified as Praveen Kumar, has been arrested in a central Delhi area with 12 mobile phones, mostly stolen from major religious sites in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, according to police.

Law enforcement reported that Kumar, a resident of Karol Bagh, was tracked down after a phone stolen from the Khatu Shyam Ji temple in Sikar was traced to a car on East Park Road. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered the stash of devices, including some lifted from the ISKCON temple in Vrindavan.

Kumar confessed during interrogation that he and an accomplice, known as Sunny or Ajay, targeted crowded pilgrimage areas to swipe high-end smartphones. The duo performed several thefts on November 15 and intended to distribute the phones in Delhi's black market. Authorities are actively seeking Sunny's whereabouts.

(With inputs from agencies.)