LUCKNOW: A young man was caught on CCTV camera stealing while donation box from the Sheetla Mata Temple — but not before displaying devotion to the deity.The thief is seen entering the temple barefoot and praying to Lord Hanuman, carefully shifting a bowl of vermilion and a burning lamp, before committing theft. In the CCTV footage, he is seen purportedly seen hesitating for around 15 seconds, wiping sweat, taking the donation box and walking backward to avoid turning his back to the deity.The incident came to light when the priest, Pt Pramod Kumar Pandey, reached the temple on Friday morning to find the donation box missing and alerted the authorities.

Station house officer, Cantonment, Jasveer Kaur said the suspect could be a minor.The temple’s priest and the police were baffled by the thief’s display of “reverence” and hesitation while committing the crime.“The thief first approached the idol of Lord Hanuman, examined it carefully and offered prayers. Before lifting the donation box, he carefully set aside a bowl of vermilion and a burning lamp with to ensure the flame was not extinguished,” Kaur said.“The footage shows the youth holding the donation box for nearly 15 seconds without moving it. He is also seen wiping sweat from his forehead and appeared nervous while staring at the idol,” the officer said.The temple priest said that the thief walked several steps backwards, a gesture commonly made by devotees to avoid showing their back to the deity.“He also turned around one last time to bow the deity,” he said.Police are analysing the video to identify the suspect.“We have received the complaint and the footage. A search operation has been launched to apprehend the accused,” the SHO said.