Tehsildar loses slippers near temple, lodges complaint to flag ‘rise in theft’ in Madhya Pradesh

INDORE: Ever had your footwear stolen from near a temple? You would find your pain being acknowledged and someone taking up cudgels for you and many more who go through this experience.On Monday, a naib tehsildar in MP’s Agar Malwa district lodged a police complaint after his pair of slippers was stolen – and recovered -at the famous Baglamukhi Temple so that police focus on such cases to “protect devotees from inconvenience and the sanctity of a religious place.”Arun Chandravanshi, posted as naib tehsildar, had arrived at the temple for darshan around 3.15 pm on Monday and left his pair of slippers, which cost him Rs 500, near the receipt counter before entering the temple.

When he returned after offering prayers, the slippers were missing. Temple authorities were informed and CCTV footage from the entrance area was reviewed.While the person was identified and the pair of slippers recovered, Chandravanshi sent a written complaint to Agar Malwa SP Vinod Kumar Singh and the local police station in-charge Nagesh Yadav, urging strict action.In his letter, he flagged concern over increasing incidents of footwear and other belongings being stolen from the temple complex, stating that such acts disturb the sanctity of the religious place and cause inconvenience to devotees .

He sought registration of a case under relevant provisions of the BNSS, including Sections 170 and 126.“The temple has a designated security committee chaired by the SDM. Issues such as theft of footwear fall within the committee’s jurisdiction and are not matters that ordinarily warrant police intervention. The pair of slippers was recovered later,” said Nalkheda police station in-charge Nagesh Yadav.Temple manager spots the slipper theft on CCTVI checked the CCTV cameras/ footage installed in Maa Baglamukhi Temple.

In the recording at around 3.20 pm, one person was seen taking away the pair of slippers. Temple manager Vinod Gawli and the employee sitting at the receipt counter, Nitesh Devda, identified the person as Pawan, a resident of Ayodhya Basti in Nalkheda. Devda contacted Pawan and called him to the temple office. During questioning in my presence, Pawan admitted to taking the pair of slippers,” Chandravanshi said in the complaint.