The Tehsil Police have arrested a 52-year-old man for stealing silver ornaments from two Hanuman temples in Nagpur and recovered stolen silver valued at Rs84,000.
According to police, the first incident took place on January 15, 2026, between 6 pm and 6.30 pm, within the limits of Tehsil police station. An unidentified person entered the Shri Sankatmochan Hanuman Temple in Timki through an open door and allegedly stole a silver tilak weighing around 250 grams from the idol while devotees were momentarily distracted.
Following a complaint lodged by temple trustee and local resident Chetan Kisanlal Basaiye (47), a case was registered under Section 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against an unknown accused.
During a parallel investigation, officers from Crime Branch Unit No. 6 conducted technical analysis and acted on credible inputs to identify and detain Subhash Sukhdev Zade (52), a resident of Telephone Exchange Square, Lakadganj. During interrogation, Zade confessed to committing the theft at the Timki temple.
Further questioning revealed his involvement in another temple theft under Panchpaoli police station limits. Police said he had stolen a silver jaw ornament from the idol at Tandapeth Hanuman Temple, admitting to thefts at two temples.
Police recovered silver ingots weighing approximately 350 grams, valued at Rs84,000, from the accused. He was subsequently handed over to Tehsil Police along with the seized property for further legal proceedings. Further investigation is underway.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of Police Commissioner Ravindra Kumar Singal, Joint Commissioner Navinchandra Reddy, Additional Commissioner (Crime) Vasant Pardeshi, DCP Rahul Maknikar, and ACP Narendra Hivre. The Crime Branch team was led by PI Bharat Karade, with API Sachin Gaikwad and PSI Rahul Rote, along with supporting officers and constables.
