4 held for Virreshwar Temple theft, 17kg silver covering recovered

The theft took place around 2.30am on Sunday and was captured on CCTV cameras inside the temple premises

NAVI MUMBAI: Khopoli police have arrested four people and recovered a 17-kg silver covering stolen from the shivling at the Peshwa-era Virreshwar Temple, which had sparked protests in the town. The accused were traced to Shirur in Pune district and Parner in Ahilyanagar district using CCTV footage, FASTag data and electronic surveillance, police said.

4 held for Virreshwar Temple theft, 17kg silver covering recovered

The arrested accused have been identified as Amol Suresh Kasbe, 36, and Vilas Sahebrao Agiwale, 25, both residents of Shirur, and Dilip Raju Jadhav, 40, and Sakharam Chhaban Gaikwad, 40, both from Parner.

The theft took place around 2.30am on Sunday and was captured on CCTV cameras inside the temple premises. However, the non-functional CCTV camera outside the temple made it difficult for investigators to initially establish the route taken by the accused while fleeing.

Raigad superintendent of police Aanchal Dalal personally visited the temple after the incident and directed officers to expedite the investigation.

Police formed eight dedicated teams to trace the accused. Investigators analysed CCTV footage and examined FASTag transaction data, which indicated that the vehicle used by the suspects had travelled towards Karjat after the theft.

The investigation is continuing to determine whether any other people were involved in planning or executing the theft, police said.