Pune: In a bizarre turn of events, a silver crown weighing 1.3kg, belonging to goddess Tuljabhavani, was stolen from a temple in Talegaon Dabhade for the second time in less than a week. The crown had been reinstalled on Friday after being recovered from thieves arrested earlier.
First Theft and Recovery
On May 23, an unidentified man posing as a devotee approached the idol under the pretext of performing a puja. He picked up the crown and fled after diverting the priest's attention. The Talegaon Dabhade police reviewed 80 CCTV recordings and arrested Ravi Soni (34) and Ramesh Soni (36) from Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, recovering the crown.
Reinstallation and Second Theft
The crown was reinstalled on Friday in the presence of Deputy Commissioner of Police Shweta Khedkar of Pimpri Chinchwad police and Senior Police Inspector Kanhaiya Thorat of Talegaon Dabhade police. However, on Saturday morning, unidentified men broke open the door of the temple's sanctum and stole the crown again. A fresh case has been registered.
Police Investigation
“We are working on some clues. We will soon arrest the suspects involved in the theft,” DCP Khedkar told TOI. “We have specific inputs and will have a breakthrough within a day or two,” an officer from the Talegaon Dabhade police added.
Other Incidents
Meanwhile, on the same night, cash was stolen from the donation box inside Kadjai Mata temple in Maval taluka. A case has been registered with the Talegaon MIDC police.
Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. The police are confident of solving the case swiftly.
