AMRITSAR SAHIB—The installation of CCTV cameras at Darbar Sahib has consistently proven to be a conducive method of capturing thieves. Sri Harmandir Sahib, otherwise known as the Golden Temple, sees more than one hundred thousand visitors on a daily basis, thus giving swindlers access to perhaps credulous or unsuspecting devotees.
Certainly, many thieves have taken to the opportunity, with a number of instances highlighting the benefit of the cameras. For instance, a devotee from Gurdaspur began to bathe in the Sarovar near Dukh Bhanjani Beri, when a man gained possession of his trousers containing his wallet and cell phone. Another incident saw a complaint of a stolen purse containing the passport of a woman hoping to return home to Canada that same evening. In both instances, a simple rewinding of CCTV footage led to the thieves being caught in no time and the items being recovered.
Gurbax Singh, a coordinator from the broadcast room, said:
“Ever since the cameras have been installed, we have nabbed 140 people for committing thefts inside the temple. They also included a few women and a family, with the husband, wife and kids participating in the act. We have even caught a person, who had been impersonating as an assistant sub-inspector and extorting money from students… There have been instances when thieves have left the temple after committing the crime. They were caught when they came to the Golden Temple again.”
As the result of the establishment of 130 cameras since June 2011, these thieves have been caught, thus proving the cameras successful in not only stopping thieves, but deterring future thefts. Additionally, they’ve proven useful to the police, who are able to use the footage as evidence against the individuals in court. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar expressed plans to install more cameras around the Gurdwara complex in the coming year.
