Pune: Thief striking at temples held, valuables from 11 temples worth Rs 4 lakh seized
Pune: The Pargaon (Karkhana) Police of the Pune Rural Police arrested a thief, who would enter temples at night. He used to get easy access to a temple as there used to be no one to keep vigil at night. His modus operandi worked and he struck at several temples in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts.
The accused has been identified as Vinayak Damu Jite, a resident of Kanhur Mesai, taluka Shirur. He admitted to have stolen valuables from 11 temples, including those at Ambegaon, Shirur, Shikrapur, Khed in Pune district and Supe in Ahilyanagar district. Valuables worth Rs 4 lakh were seized from his possession.
Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh gave details. SP Deshmukh instructed the Rural Police to detect thefts at temples in the district as their number was rising in the recent past. An investigation squad of the Pargaon (Karkhana) Police Station, comprising PSI Bhausaheb Lokare, policemen Amol Vadekar, Sanjay Salve and Mahesh Abhang, checked CCTV footage at various temples within their jurisdiction.
They traced a suspect in the footage. They identified the criminal on police records as Vinayak Jite. The police got a tip-off that he would visit Shikrapur. They laid a trap and detained him. On interrogation, he admitted to the thefts.
He stole valuables from Bhairavnath-Jogeshwari Mandir, Shingve; Devi Mandir, Lakhangaon; Hanuman Mandir, Mandalewadi; Bolhaimata Mandir, Jarkarwadi and a temple within the Pargaon (Karkhana) Police Station.
On sustained interrogation, Jite admitted that he committed thefts at Shri Nath Mhaskoba Mandir, Rautwadi, Shikrapur; Vadjaimata Mandir, Kavatemala; Kanhersar Yamai June Thane Mandir, Khed, Rajgurunagar; Kalubai Mandir, Shirur Savindane; Tukai Mata Mandir, Ranjangaon Fadvasti; Khandoba Mandir and Kalamjai Mandir, Ghodegaon Shindewadi; Tukai Mandir, Supe, Ahilyanagar district; Shri Khandoba Mandir, Wade Gavhan, Parner; Shri Khandoba Mandir, MIDC Ahilyanagar and Shivmalhar Gad, Pimpalgaon Mali.
The seized valuables include gold beads, brass lamps, amplifiers, goddess brass mask, silver goddess mask, mangalsutra, golden jewellery, a brass bell, silver Nandi, silver images of horses. Golden jewellery valued at Rs 1.63 lakh, silver masks and brass utensils worth Rs 1.17 lakh, electronic devices amounting to Rs 80,000 and Rs 32,000 cash.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of SP Pankaj Deshmukh, Addl SP Ramesh Chopade, Khed SDPO Amol Mandve, PI (LCB) Avinash Shilimkar. The investigation squad comprising API Netaji Gandhare, PSI Bhausaheb Lokare, police personnel Amol Vadekar, Avinash Kalekar, Dattatraya Jadhar, Devanand Kirve, Ajit Madke, Shantaram Sangde, Ramesh Uchke, Sanjay Salve, Mangesh Abhang, Chandrakant Gavhane, Navnath Rakshe, Gajanan Dake, Omnath Tumkute, Rajesh Utle, Vikram Tapkir, Nilesh Supekar, Mangesh Bhigale, police mitra Rambhau Walunj and Lakhangaon police patil Kalpana Borhade participated in the operation.
