Outside Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari Temple, monkey takes away bag with Rs 20 lakh jewellery. Here’s how police got it back

In the spiritual town of Vrindavan, where devotion fills the air and monkeys often roam freely, faith and chaos collided in a bizarre episode outside the revered Banke Bihari Temple. What was meant to be a peaceful visit turned into a nerve-wracking chase when a monkey snatched a handbag containing jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh from a devotee. The surreal theft highlights an all-too-familiar problem in temple towns—mischievous monkeys turning into petty criminals amid crowds of unsuspecting devotees. But how did the police recover the purse?

According to the Hindustan Times, Abhishek Agarwal from Aligarh had just stepped out of the temple when the monkey made its move, grabbing the handbag from his wife and vanishing into the maze of ancient lanes. The woman had removed her jewellery and stored it in the bag for safekeeping, a precaution that backfired.

How did the police recover the purse?

Residents attempted to retrieve the bag but failed, prompting police intervention. Acting quickly, Banke Bihari outpost in-charge Prashant Kapil launched a search operation. CCTV footage and field tracking eventually led officers to a bush where the bag was stashed. Fortunately, all the jewellery was found intact and returned to the relieved family. Circle officer Sandeep Kumar Singh confirmed the gravity of the incident, noting they were unable to trace the monkey.


A few years back, a viral video from Mathura showed a monkey snatching the spectacles of a District Magistrate during his visit to the Banke Bihari temple. As the DM walked through the temple premises, the monkey leapt and grabbed his glasses, leading to a chaotic scene. Police officers were seen struggling to retrieve the spectacles from the monkey.