Notorious History-Sheeter Arrested: 11 Temple Thefts Solved in Pune and Ahmednagar Districts
Pargaon/Pune, 6th August 2024: A notorious history-sheeter known for stealing at temples has been detained by the Pune Rural Police. The thief has committed thefts at 11 temples, with items worth Rs 4 lakh seized from him. The arrest has resolved 11 cases registered across various police stations within the Pune Rural Police and Ahmednagar District Police jurisdictions.
The arrested individual is identified as Vinayak Damu Jite (resident of Shirur). He had committed thefts at 11 temples in Ambegaon, Shirur, Shikrapur, and Khed areas and had been under the surveillance of the Pune Rural Police for some time.
A case was registered against him at Pargaon Karkhana Police Station under BNS Sections 331 (punishment for house-trespass or house-breaking) and 305 (theft in a dwelling house, means of transportation, or place of worship, etc.). During the investigation, the Pargaon Karkhana Police managed to arrest the thief.
According to police reports, there have been numerous temple thefts in the Pune District over the past few days, leading to several cases being registered. The Pargaon Karkhana Police began a thorough investigation, reviewing CCTV footage from various locations over the past few months. Through confidential sources and technical investigation, the police identified the thief as Vinayak Damu Jite. Intel indicated that he was in the Shikrapur area, and a trap was set to caught him.
Initially providing vague answers, Jite eventually confessed to the thefts after further interrogation. The temples targeted included Shree Bhairavnath Jogeshwari Temple in Shingave, Devi Temple in Lakhangaon, Hanuman Temple in Mandalewadi, and Bolhai Mata Temple in Jarkarwadi, all under the Pargaon Karkhana Police Station jurisdiction.
Additionally, Jite admitted to thefts at Shrinath Maskoba Temple in Shikrapur, Wadjai Mata Temple in Shikrapur, Kanhersar Yemai Temple in Rajgurunagar, Kalubai Temple in Shirur, Tukai Mata Devi Temple in Ranjangaon, and Khandoba and Kalanjmai Temples in Ghodegaon. He also targeted Tukai Temple and Khandoba Temples in Ahmednagar District.
The arrest has solved three cases registered at Pargaon Karkhana, one each at Ghodegaon, Khed, Shirur, Ranjangaon, Supa, and Nagar MIDC Police Stations, and two at Shikrapur.
This operation was conducted under the guidance of Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh Chopade, Khed Sub-Divisional Police Officer Amol Mandave, and Police Inspector Avinash Shilimkar from the Local Crime Branch (LCB).
The team included Assistant Police Inspector Netaji Gandhare, Police Sub-Inspector Bhausaheb Lekare, and Police Constables Amol Wadekar, Avinash Kalekar, Dattatraya Jadhar, Devanand Kirve, Ajit Madake, Shantaram Sangade, Ramesh Ichake, Sanjay Salve, Mangesh Abhang, Chandrakant Gavhane, Navnath Rakshe, Gajanan Dake, Omnath Tumkute, and Rajesh Utale, all from Pargaon Karkhana Police Station, along with Police Constables Vikram Tapkir, Nilesh Supekar, and Mangesh Thigale from the LCB. Police Mitra Rambhau Walunj and Lakhangaon Police Patil Kalpana Borhade also assisted in the operation.
