The interstate thieves who stole money from the Bagbahara presbytery of the Raipur archdiocese two weeks ago have been apprehended by Chhattisgarh police.
Father Varghese Thekkekut, parish priest of St. Theresa of Avila, claimed that the authorities treated the incident seriously since it occurred in a house of worship.
He expressed gratitude to his bishop and the government for "taking serious note of the crime and acting promptly."
During the time of arrest, the police reportedly found a country-made weapon, a motorbike used in the crime and 50,000 rupees on suspected criminals, Vakil Ahmed, 28 and Mohdamud Abid, 27.
On June 18, Father Thekkekut was reading the newspaper after the Sunday Mass when three masked men entered his open presbytery and begged to be prayed over.
One of them quickly raised his gun, and the other two men examined the shelves in the room. They stole 125,000 rupees, bound the 69-year-old priest’s wrists and feet, and left.
Dharmendra Singh, a police official in the Mahasamund district, said that the culprits admitted to the police that they divided the 125, 000 rupees among themselves after counting it.
Police are now looking for the third suspect, Vajid, who has fled while they have the other two criminals in custody.
The thieves had obtained “false information” that the church had received a significant donation, Father Thekkekut told UCA News. They, therefore, spent almost five months planning the robbery.
We can all learn from it, too. We should all exercise caution while engaging in financial transactions and meeting new people, the priest added.
