PUNE:
The Faraskhana police have arrested a 29-year-old man for theft at the historic Kasba Ganpati temple, recovering from him cash allegedly stolen from the donation boxes kept inside the temple premises.
The accused has been identified as Sangram Rajendra Jadhav, 29, a resident of Gadhinglaj in Kolhapur district; the police said. He was arrested from Rameshwar Chowk.
According to the police, the robbery took place between 11.30 pm on October 5 and 5.20 am on October 6. An unidentified person allegedly entered the temple premises, broke open the lock of the sanctum sanctorum, and gained entry inside. The accused allegedly broke open wooden and metal donation boxes using an iron rod and stole cash of around ₹50,000 to ₹60,000; the police said.
A case was subsequently registered at the Faraskhana police station. Considering the gravity of the offence, senior police officers have directed the Faraskhana police to launch an immediate investigation. Sandip Deshmane, senior police inspector at Faraskhana police station, said, “Considering the gravity of the case, a team was formed which examined the CCTV footage from the roads leading to and from the Kasba Ganpati temple.”
Deshmane said that the team scrutinised footage recorded around the time of the theft and monitored the movements of suspects seen in the area.
{{/usCountry}}Deshmane said that the team scrutinised footage recorded around the time of the theft and monitored the movements of suspects seen in the area.
{{/usCountry}}During the investigation, the police identified Jadhav as a suspect and detained him. During questioning, he allegedly confessed to committing the theft following which, he was arrested in the case; the police said.
The swift detection of the case within eight hours comes amid concerns over security at prominent religious places, particularly those that receive large amounts of cash through donation boxes.