Mischievous monkey robs woman of diamonds worth INR 20 lakh at Vrindavan temple, here’s what happened next

India’s temples are famous not only for their spirituality and religiosity but among these are some sites that are also known for the unpredictable and mischievous monkeys that often shares space with devotees, stealing food and snatching spectacles, especially in places like Vrindavan, that is deeply associated with Lord Krishna and thronged by pilgrims year-round.A recent incident of monkey mischief occurred in Vrindavan’s famous Banke Bihari temple, which turned a family’s religious outing into a chase involving police, CCTV surveillance, and a very cunning monkey. The story sounds like a comedy film, but also sheds light on the increasing number of such incidents across religious sites in the country.At Vrindavan’s historic Banke Bihari temple, a monkey pulled off a ‘heist’ involving diamond jewellery worth over ₹20 lakh, leading to an eight-hour search mission by police and locals.The incident took place on a Thursday when Abhishek Agarwal, a resident of Aligarh, was leaving the temple with his family after offering prayers. Out of nowhere, a monkey swooped down and snatched his wife’s purse. According to reports, the bag held a diamond-studded necklace, two diamond rings, two diamond earrings, and three silver anklets.According to a TOI report, “It just darted up a tree and disappeared,” said a local shopkeeper.

Despite attempts by onlookers to retrieve the purse, the monkey vanished quickly.

Realising the seriousness of the theft, the family reached out to the local police. The authorities began the search by scanning a CCTV footage to track the monkey’s path. “After nearly eight hours, the purse was found abandoned in a bush, its contents intact,” said DSP Mathura Sadar Sandeep Kumar Singh to the Times of India.The fortunate recovery brought huge relief to the Agarwal family, especially considering the high value of the stolen items.

While the jewelry was all accounted for, the incident brought in concerns about monkey behaviour in Vrindavan.This isn’t the first time monkeys in Vrindavan have made headlines. Back in 2015, a monkey reportedly stole a woman’s purse and tossed ₹1.5 lakh in cash from the temple rooftop, causing a frenzy among devotees below, as noted in the same report.With monkey mischief becoming more frequent and increasingly bold, locals are once again calling for better wildlife management around the temple area. While many consider the monkeys sacred, incidents like this highlight the need for thoughtful measures to protect the devotees and their belongings.