Residents of Taricha Pada village in Thane's Kolshet area are gripped with fear following a surge in theft cases. Within just one month, the village has witnessed over five incidents of theft. On March 10, several houses fell victim to burglary, resulting in the loss of cash, household items, clothing, and jewelry worth thousands of rupees. Moreover, on the day of Holi, March 24, an attempted robbery took place, although the perpetrators were unsuccessful. Despite these repeated incidents, the culprits remain at large.
In response, villagers, including children, have taken to patrolling the village at night in a bid to enhance security. They have reached out to the Kapurbawdi police, urging them to restore a sense of safety in the community. Additionally, CCTV footage has surfaced showing the thieves entering the Hanuman temple in the village and targeting the donation box.
When LokmatTimes.com visited the village, villagers expressed their concerns over the rising theft cases. On March 24 eight to ten unidentified persons were found trying to enter houses in the village. However, some villagers were awake and they noticed them. They immediately informed other villagers and children about the incident. Soon, many villagers came out of their houses and started searching for the thieves in the village. However, the thieves fled after getting wind of it.
Earlier, on November 5, 2023, the donation box of the Hanuman temple located at the entrance of the village was stolen. According to the CCTV visuals, the thieves broke open the door of the temple and stole the donation box at around 1: 47 am. A written complaint was filed with the Kapurbawdi police station on November 5, 2023. Anand Daki, a resident told LokmatTimes.com that “Theft cases in the village are increasing rapidly. We fear if those thieves attack the children with any sharp objects in coming days. They mostly come at night 11 pm and in the early morning after 4 am. Police patrolling should be doubled in the area.”
Piyush Gharat, brother of Akshay Patil whose house was looted by burglars told LokmatTimes.com, “1.5 tola of gold jewellery was stolen along with 15 Rs cash from my brother’s house. They could have come from the backside of the village through Balkum pipeline.” Another resident Pravin Patil told, “It’s quite unfortunate that such untoward incidents are happening. Safety is our priority. We want more CCTV cameras in the village that can keep a vigil and detect the thieves.” Villagers were demanding stringent police action in identifying and punishing the burglars. Another resident Sandeep Gharat told that his auto rickshaw battery was stolen last year. “There are frequent incidents of stealing of petrol, batteries, clothes, jewellery,” told Gharat.
Senior PI of Kapurbawdi Sandeep Dhande told LokmatTimes.com, “Yesterday, a meeting as conducted between the villagers and the police team. We are taking all measures to safeguard the area and have also advised the residents to be alert from thieves. Patrolling procedures are also followed. Culprits of the recent theft cases will be nabbed soon”