Pune Police caught two women who stole a gold chain from an old woman at the famous Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple on Tuesday. The thieves took a chain worth Rs. 1.2 lakh from a 65-year-old woman who’d come to pray at the temple. This was the third time such a theft happened at this temple this month.
The two women, Priya Sharma (28) and Meena Patil (32), had a clever way of stealing. They’d wait for crowded times when many people come to pray. They’d then stand near the temple’s east gate and look for old people wearing gold jewelry. When the temple is busy, more than 5,000 people visit every hour.
The temple has now put up more safety measures to stop such thefts. They’ve added 24 new cameras, hired 12 security guards in normal clothes, and started checking everyone’s bags at the entry gates. They’re also telling people to be careful about their jewelry when the temple is crowded.
Police found that chain snatching at temples in Pune has gone up by 47% since January 2023. Most of these thefts are done by women working in pairs. The stolen chain belonged to Mrs. Anjali Deshpande, who used to be a teacher. The police will give her chain back after some paperwork.
Police officer Rajesh Kumar said these women have stolen chains in seven other places too. The total cost of all stolen items is more than Rs. 8.5 lakhs. After catching these women, police found out that they’re part of a bigger group that steals from temples all over Maharashtra.
The police have now made a special team to protect temples. They plan to put smart cameras at 15 big temples in the city. When Mumbai temples used such safety measures, thefts went down by 62%. The two women have been charged with theft and will go to court on Wednesday. Police think catching these women will help stop many temple thefts in the area.
Pune local news indicates that similar security measures are being considered for other religious sites across the city.
