Delhi Police Arrest Man Accused of Stealing Golden ‘Kalash’ from Red Fort Festival

New Delhi, Sept 8 – Delhi Police have arrested a man accused of stealing a priceless golden ‘kalash’ (urn) during a Jain community festival held at the Red Fort last week.

Officials said the suspect, identified as Bhushan Verma, was tracked down by the Crime Branch in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, five days after the theft.

The stolen urn, weighing 760 grams of gold and embedded with 115 grams of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, is valued at over ₹1 crore.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla visited the festival venue, briefly drawing everyone’s attention. According to the complainant, businessman Sudhir Kumar Jain (66), the urn had been brought daily from his home for the 10-day prayers and was kept beside him on stage. However, by the time he began packing up around 10:20 am, the urn was missing.

CCTV footage showed a man dressed in traditional attire — similar to festival attendees — walking away with the urn. He was seen heading to the kitchen area, concealing the kalash inside a green-and-black bag, and leaving the premises unnoticed.

A case was registered under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft. Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Devesh Srivastava confirmed that Verma had been posing as a member of the Jain community to gain access.

The 10-day religious celebrations, which began on August 28 and concluded on September 7, are held annually at the same ground where the Ram Leela takes place.

Police teams deployed at the Red Fort are now investigating how the suspect managed to bypass security during the Speaker’s visit.