By Sumesh Rajan | August 31, 2025
Durg, Chhattisgarh, INDIA: For more than a decade, temples in and around Chhattisgarh’s Durg district reported a series of mysterious thefts. Donation boxes were found broken open, cash disappeared, and the culprit always managed to slip away undetected. On Thursday, police finally cracked the case, arresting a 45-year-old man who chillingly described his crimes as an “act of vengeance against God.”
The accused, identified as Yashwant Upadhya, is HIV-positive and told police he lost faith in religion after contracting the virus while serving a jail term in 2012 in an assault case. He claimed he was infected through an “unhygienic bed” in prison and described his condition as an “act of God” that had unfairly destroyed his life.
“Since his prayers for recovery went unanswered, he began to resent God and decided to take revenge by targeting temple offerings,” said Durg City SP Satyaprakash Tiwari.
A Pattern of Thefts
Police said Upadhya has confessed to committing thefts in at least 10 temples across Nevai, Supela, Padmanabhpur, Bhilai Bhatti, and Bhilai Nagar police station limits, though the number is believed to be higher.
His modus operandi was consistent. He would: Travel only on his Jupiter scooter, parking it far from the temple. Change clothes before and after each theft to avoid recognition in CCTV footage. Conduct a detailed recce of the temple beforehand, often using lanes and narrow by-lanes to dodge security cameras. Target only cash donation boxes, leaving jewellery and other valuables untouched.
The most recent theft took place on the night of August 23–24, when he broke into a Jain temple on the outskirts of Durg. Police later arrested him with his scooter and recovered stolen coins worth ₹1,282.
A Trail of Clues
Investigators from the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit and the Nevai police station pieced together clues from CCTV footage of streets, residential areas, and shops near the temples. These surveillance inputs helped them trace Upadhya’s movements and finally pin him down.
During interrogation, Upadhya admitted to the crimes, saying that since temple donations were meant for God, he would use only that money to survive. “He repeatedly said it was his way of showing God His place,” CSP Tiwari said.
From Prison to Pilfering
Police said Upadhya learned burglary techniques during his earlier imprisonment in 2011–12, where he also contracted the virus. After his release, he began systematically targeting temples, refining his methods over the years.
Though he initially told police he had stolen from about a dozen temples, he later admitted to the media that the number could be much higher but he could not recall all of them.
Judicial Custody
Upadhya has been remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody. Police said he has been undergoing medical treatment for HIV.
Authorities are now reviewing unsolved temple theft cases across the region to determine whether he may have been involved.
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