In a bizarre incident that caught the attention of the Chinese media, a man was apprehended for stealing from a temple’s donation box in Yiyang city, Jiangxi province.
What makes this story even more peculiar is the reason he gave for committing the theft. According to the man, he was granted permission by none other than the Buddha himself, who allegedly showed him an ‘OK’ hand sign, signalling for the man to go ahead with his theft, according to reports from Jimu News.
“Okay”
On Jul. 8, police officers from Jiangxi province received reports of a theft at Shuangyan Temple. The temple authorities and visitors noticed that the donations meant for the Earth deity (Tu Di Gong) were mysteriously disappearing from the donation box.
Concerned about the ongoing thefts, they decided to take action and informed the authorities about the incidents.
During their investigations, the police came across a suspicious-looking man wearing a black and red T-shirt who was seen frequently around the temple premises.
Witnesses reported that he would wander around and peer into the donation box, raising suspicion about his involvement in the thefts.
Based on this information, the police began tracing his activities to identify the culprit.
The trail led the police to a village where they discovered the residence of the man named Ye Mou. The investigators brought Ye in for questioning to ascertain his role in the temple thefts.
To their surprise, Ye admitted to being involved in the crime but provided an unexpected defense.
Buddha told him “okay”
Ye claimed that before taking the money, he prayed to the Buddha for permission. In a bizarre turn of events, Ye stated that he received a divine sign in the form of an ‘OK’ hand sign from the Buddha, which he interpreted as approval to “borrow” the money from the donation box. He further asserted that his intention was to return the money later.
Though Ye’s explanation may have astonished the officers, it did not absolve him of his wrongdoing. Admitting to stealing other people’s property was enough to incriminate him, leading to his immediate arrest. The police charged Ye with theft and subjected him to 12 days of administrative detention.
During the investigation, Ye confessed to facing severe financial difficulties in the preceding month. Struggling to make ends meet, he stumbled upon an opportunity when he observed that the temple’s donation box was often left unattended and unlocked while he washed his clothes in the nearby ponds.
Taking advantage of the situation, Ye hatched a devious plan to solve his financial problems. He began stealing small amounts from the donation box initially, which went unnoticed.
Encouraged by his initial success, he returned to the temple to take more money until he was eventually caught in the act.
Images source: 弋阳公安在线 via Jimu News.