Thieves target homes in Pune on Lakshmi Puja night, jewellery and cash worth about Rs 64 lakh stolen

Thieves took advantage of empty homes and valuables kept in puja rooms during Lakshmi Puja in Pune and struck in several residential areas. Complaints have been registered of thefts of gold jewellery and cash worth about Rs 64 lakh in all, in incidents on Sunday night (November 8).

Reports of theft have come from Hadapsar, Katraj, Mohammadwadi, Ashtapur, Sukhsagar Nagar in Bibwewadi, Kondhwa and Kalepadal. In several cases, the thieves allegedly targeted gold jewellery and cash kept in the puja room for Lakshmi Puja.

The biggest incident was at a bungalow in Hadapsar. According to the complaint, unidentified thieves allegedly took goods worth Rs 47 lakh, including gold jewellery and Rs 12 lakh in cash.

According to the complaint registered at Hadapsar police station, the complainant, Annasaheb, lives in a bungalow in a housing society opposite Magar College. On November 8, the family kept several pieces of jewellery, including a Lakshmi haar, necklace, chain, earrings and rings, along with cash in the puja room for Lakshmi Puja. After the puja, the items were left there.

The family went to sleep at night. Around midnight, unidentified thieves allegedly entered the bungalow, slid open a glass panel and reached the room housing the puja room. They then stole the jewellery and cash. Police Sub-Inspector Shubham Shinde is investigating.

In Santoshnagar in Katraj, goods worth Rs 1.68 lakh were allegedly stolen from a flat in Hanuman Complex. The complainant told police that the family had kept gold jewellery and Rs 10,000 in cash in the puja room for the puja. On Monday morning (November 9), they found the flat's door open and the items missing. The case has been registered at Ambegaon police station.

In Sukhsagar Nagar in Bibwewadi, gold jewellery and cash worth Rs 3.28 lakh kept in a puja room were allegedly stolen. Bharati Vidyapeeth police are investigating.

A bungalow in Ashtapur village on the Pune-Ahilyanagar road was also burgled. The thieves allegedly stole Rs 50,000 in cash, gold jewellery, a two-wheeler and a car key. The total value of the stolen goods is estimated at Rs 2.65 lakh. The complaint is registered at Loni Kand police station, and Assistant Police Inspector Gajanan Kagane is investigating.

In the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar area of Kondhwa, gold jewellery worth Rs 1.82 lakh kept in a puja room was allegedly stolen. A senior citizen has filed a complaint at Kondhwa police station.

Two more thefts were reported from the Kalepadal area of Hadapsar. In one, gold jewellery worth Rs 1.82 lakh was allegedly stolen from a puja room. The other took place on Mohammadwadi Road, where thieves allegedly stole jewellery worth Rs 7.34 lakh kept for Lakshmi Puja. Both cases are registered at Kalepadal police station, and investigations are on.