Two shops burgled in New Mondha; ₹3.5 lakh cash stolen

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Unidentified thieves broke into two shops in New Mondha, Jadhavwadi, and stole nearly Rs 3.5 lakh in cash. The burglary came to light on Sunday morning, following which a complaint was registered at the Cidco police station.

Brothers Umesh and Yogesh Tandle, who run a grocery and grain shop in the area, had closed their establishment around 9 pm on Saturday and returned home. During the night, the miscreants allegedly pried open the shutter and decamped with over Rs 3.48 lakhs kept in a table drawer. The stolen amount comprised Rs 500, Rs 200, Rs 100 and Rs 50 denomination notes. The adjacent shop owned by Suresh Sokia was also targeted. The culprits forced open the shutter and fled with Rs 2,000 from the cash counter. Around 6.30 am on Sunday, nearby shopkeeper Sanjay Khandelwal noticed that the shutters of both shops were partially damaged and alerted the owners. After inspecting the premises, they informed the Cidco police. Umesh Tandle subsequently lodged a complaint against unidentified persons. Further investigation is underway. Notably, both shops are located adjacent to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee office. Though eight security guards are deployed and CCTV cameras installed in the premises, a reported power outage between midnight and 5 am rendered the surveillance system inoperative, raising concerns over night vigilance.