The Ganesha Temple in Melbourne was the target of a burglary over the weekend, resulting in the theft of more than $5,000 in donations. The incident occurred on Friday night (16 August), with the temple’s president, Mr. Shan Pillai, sharing details of the theft.
Mr. Pillai recounted that he left the temple at approximately 9:30 PM on Friday night. The next morning, at around 7:00 AM on Saturday, he received a phone call from the employee informing him that the temple had been broken into and that two of the temple’s five donation boxes were missing.
“The thieves also stole a safe, which fortunately was empty,” Mr Pillai told Indian Link.
The burglary has caused significant concern within the temple community, especially given the timing—just after a major festival that had drawn over 1,000 attendees. Mr. Pillai estimated that the stolen donation boxes contained approximately $5,000, including the $1,300 that was in the cash register. These donations were mostly from the festival, where many attendees had made contributions to the temple.
Upon discovering the burglary, Mr. Pillai immediately contacted the police and the temple’s insurance company. The police arrived at the temple around 10:30 AM to investigate, dusting for fingerprints and collecting other evidence. Mr. Pillai also reviewed the temple’s CCTV footage, which showed two individuals breaking into the Ganesha temple through an emergency exit door.
According to him, the footage revealed that the burglars, “who appeared to be a male and a female, were wearing hazmat-like suits that covered them from head to toe, making identification difficult.”
“The burglars used a mat from the temple to drag the safe out of the building, indicating a level of premeditation and professionalism,” said Mr Pillai.
Despite the thorough coverage of the suspects’ faces and bodies, the police are continuing their investigation into Melbourne’s Ganesha Temple burglary.
The burglary has brought to light concerns about the security of religious institutions in the area. Mr. Pillai expressed frustration over the lack of government support for security funding, noting that “under the current Labor government, there have been no grants available for enhancing temple security. Even under the previous Liberal government, the temple’s applications for such grants were unsuccessful.”
Mr. Pillai highlighted the heightened sense of anxiety within the community, particularly in light of global tensions, such as the ongoing conflict in Palestine and issues affecting the Muslim community. He emphasised the need for increased vigilance and hoped that the government would soon address the need for security funding for temples and other religious institutions.
Melbourne’s Sri Vakrathunda Vinayagar Temple has been an integral part of Melbourne’s Indian community, and this incident has left many worshippers feeling vulnerable. The temple continues to function, but the incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by religious institutions and the urgent need for better security measures.
Read More: Temple vandalism shocks community
