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19-year-old in police custody for Mandai temple jewellery theft
The Mumbai police on Saturday helped the Pune police nab a burglar who had stolen jewellery from the Mandai Ganesha temple in Pune on Friday
The Mumbai police on Saturday helped the Pune police nab a burglar who had stolen jewellery from the Mandai Ganesha temple in Pune on Friday.
Ajay Mahavir Bhuktar, (19), a resident of Hamalwadi in Siddharth nagar of Hingoli, Maharashtra was arrested by the LT Marg police station officials in Mumbai.
“He has been remanded to police custody until January 4. We are investigating what he did with the rest of the gold,” said police sub inspector Sanjay Gaikwad.
A complaint in the matter was lodged by Shripad Govind Kulkarni, (57), a resident of Shukrawar peth area of Pune.
The jewellery stolen by Bhuktar was estimated to weigh around 22 tolas (220 grams). Of the stolen gold, 14.5 tolas (145 grams) was recovered from his possession. The man is suspected to have sold the rest of the gold in Palghar and Mumbai area, according to the police.
Cash worth ₹1, 50,000 suspected to have been stolen from the donation box of the temple was also recovered from him.
Bhuktar alleged entered the temple premise in the early hours of Friday. The police followed his tracks to a lodge in Pune where a bag with the clothes he was seen wearing in CCTV footage was found, according to a statement issued by Pune police.
He was further tracked to Mumbai’s gold jewellery market where the LT Marg police station officials on night patrol found him based on his picture that was circulated by Pune police.
