Ballia Police Bust Interstate Temple Robbing Gang After Fierce Encounter
UP police dismantle an interstate gang targeting temples after a late-night encounter in Ballia. Five suspects from Bihar arrested.
In a high-stakes operation on the late night of November 6, the Rasra police in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, successfully dismantled an interstate temple robbing gang that had been terrorizing religious sites across multiple districts. The crackdown culminated in a dramatic police encounter that left two suspects injured and five members of the criminal syndicate behind bars.
The Midnight Chase and Shootout
The drama unfolded around 12:50 a.m. on Aam Ghat Road, near the Lakhaneshwar Deeh temple. Police officers spotted a suspicious Innova vehicle that had been stripped of its license plates. When officers signaled the vehicle to pull over, the driver ignored the command and attempted to flee at high speed.
The police quickly surrounded the vehicle, cutting off its escape route. In a desperate bid to evade arrest, the suspects opened fire on the police officers with the intent to kill. Acting in self-defense, the police returned fire, resulting in gunshot wounds to the legs of two gang members. The injured suspects were immediately transported to the District Hospital in Ballia for medical treatment.
The Suspects Identified
All five arrested individuals hail from Motihari in the East Champaran district of Bihar. The police have identified them as:
- Zishan Alam (Injured)
- Chandrashekhar Kumar (Injured)
- Suraj Paswan
- Chandrashekhar Kumar
- Bala Lakhandar Kumar
A Trail of Sacred Thefts
During intense interrogation, the gang confessed to a series of daring robberies targeting temples in Uttar Pradesh. They admitted to traveling from Bihar specifically to scout and loot religious sites.
The Lakhaneshwar Deeh Heist
The gang revealed that on the night of October 30, they targeted the Lakhaneshwar Deeh Shiv temple. In a chilling detail, the suspects confessed to holding the temple priest hostage while they looted a silver snake and a silver canopy from the premises.
The Ghazipur Crown Theft
The group's criminal activities extended to the Ghazipur district. They admitted to breaking into the Panch Temple in Kasimabad on the night of October 11, where they stole a precious crown from a Radha-Krishna idol.
Recovered Loot and Arsenal
Following the arrests, police recovered a significant amount of stolen property and weaponry. The seizure included:
- The silver snake and silver canopy stolen from the Lakhaneshwar Deeh temple.
- 300 grams of silver, which the gang had melted down from the stolen crown of the Radha-Krishna idol.
- Two illegal .315-bore firearms.
- Two spent casings and two live cartridges.
- A toolkit used for break-ins, consisting of an iron rod, pliers, a screwdriver, and adhesive tape.
The Ballia police have registered a formal case against all five accused under the relevant sections of the law and are continuing their investigation to determine if the gang was involved in other unsolved temple thefts across the region.