The Yerawada police have arrested a gang involved in a daring theft at the historic Tarkeshwar Mahadev temple, located in Yerawada, Pune. The gang had broken into the temple on June 4, 2024, and stole nearly Rs2 lakh by breaking six donation boxes. During the investigation, police meticulously analyzed nearly 200 CCTV cameras spanning across Pune and Ahilyanagar, which helped them track down the accused.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Swaroop Rajesh Chopde (21), a resident of Manjari Budruk and native of Nagpur, and Atharva Watkar. The police recovered Rs1.05 lakh in stolen cash, along with the motorcycle that the gang had used during the crime.
The incident came to light when Sudhir Vasantrao Wambure (67), a resident of Shani Mandir in Yerawada, filed a complaint at the police station. According to the complaint, the thieves broke the lock of the temple’s main door between 1:30 a.m. and 5:45 a.m., entered the premises, and broke six steel donation boxes to steal the cash.
In the course of their investigation, Yerawada police officers and their team scrutinized CCTV footage from various locations, including Pune and Ahilyanagar in Ahmednagar. After detailed technical analysis, Police Constable Kiran Ghute identified the suspects. Swaroop Chopde was detained at Pune Railway Station on August 4, 2024.
During interrogation, Chopde confessed to his involvement in the theft, along with his accomplices Rajan Patel, Akshay Shahu, Atharva Watkar, and Amit Sheria, all of whom are from Nagpur. The stolen motorcycle found in their possession was also traced to a theft from the Chandan Nagar area.
This successful bust has been seen as a major achievement for the Yerawada police, with the stolen funds partially recovered and the gang brought to justice.