Bengaluru driver steals ₹1.5 crore, donates part to temple — funds now irrecoverable

A theft in Bengaluru has sparked widespread attention due to its unusual twist involving a temple donation. On May 5, a 46-year-old chartered accountant from Kodandaramapura entrusted ₹1.51 crore in cash to his long-serving driver, Rajesh B N, asking him to place the bag in his car before heading to the bank. Moments later, both Rajesh and the vehicle were missing.

The accountant discovered the car abandoned at his office address, but Rajesh remained untraceable. He briefly contacted his employer, claiming he was buying medicine and would return shortly. However, he subsequently vanished. A police complaint was lodged, and Rajesh was traced and taken into custody on May 9 after admitting to the theft.

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Investigations revealed that Rajesh had used approximately ₹1 lakh for personal expenses and donated a portion of the stolen cash into a temple’s donation box, known as a hundi. The exact amount donated was not specified, but officials confirmed the funds cannot be recovered.

In many South Indian temples, money deposited in hundis is treated as an irrevocable offering to the deity. Such donations are used for temple upkeep and religious services, and are typically considered non-refundable. As a result, even stolen money, once offered, is unlikely to be reclaimed—highlighting a legal and ethical dilemma in the handling of religious donations linked to criminal acts.