61-Year-Old Woman’s Gold Chain Snatched Amid Ganesh Visarjan Crowd Near Pune’s Belbaug Chowk

PUNE: In an incident highlighting how miscreants exploit festive overcrowding, an unidentified thief snatched a gold chain worth approximately ₹2 lakh from an elderly woman during the Ganesh Visarjan rush near Belbaug Chowk in Central Pune.

According to a complaint lodged on October 1, 2026, the complainant, 44-year-old Mallikarjun Kottaya Bhonsla—a corporate legal professional residing on B.T. Kawade Road—had accompanied his 61-year-old mother, Subamma Bhonsla, to Sassoon General Hospital for medication on the morning of September 25.

Following their hospital visit, the mother-son duo decided to seek blessings at the Shrimant Dagadusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple in Budhwar Peth around 11:00 AM. After the darshan, drawn by the beats of dhol-tasha troupes, they proceeded toward Belbaug Chowk around 11:30 AM.

As the duo reached the road opposite Mohak Mobile Shop near Belbaug Chowk, a severe crowd crush occurred. Amid the pushing and jostling, Subamma was shoved to the ground. Mallikarjun immediately lifted his mother and assisted her to the roadside. She then alerted him to a sharp pulling sensation around her neck, following which they discovered that her 40-gram gold chain, estimated at ₹2,00,000, was missing.

Despite an immediate search in the vicinity, the ornament could not be recovered. The complainant stated that the dense Visarjan procession crowds, misplaced purchase receipts, and professional commitments delayed their formal visit to the authorities until October 1.

A case has been registered under relevant sections against an unidentified suspect at the Shukrawar Peth Police Chowki, and further investigation is underway.