Theft at Historic Kasba Ganpati Temple in Pune: Cash Worth ₹60,000 Stolen from Donation Boxes
PUNE: In an incident of temple burglary in the heart of the city, unidentified thieves broke into the historic Gramdaivat Shri Kasba Ganpati Temple in Kasba Peth during the early hours of Tuesday, October 6, decamping with cash estimated between ₹50,000 and ₹60,000 from four donation boxes (Daan Petis).
According to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged with the Faraskhana police, the complainant, 54-year-old Heramb Dattatraya Thakar—a priest and treasurer of the Shri Kasba Ganpati Temple Trust—had locked the premises after regular temple affairs and Navratri festival preparations around 11:30 PM on Monday night.
The break-in came to light at around 5:20 AM on Tuesday when the priest and his wife arrived to perform the morning rituals. Upon unlocking the priests’ entry door, they discovered the inner bolt engaged from within. Thakar reached through a narrow opening next to the staircase to open the latch. Inside the assembly hall (Sabha Mandap), he found the wooden latch leading to the inner sanctum (Gabhara) broken.
The burglars reportedly climbed over an open compound wall, breached the sanctum doors using an iron crowbar left behind at the scene, and forced open:
Two wooden donation boxes situated right in front of the main sanctum
One wooden box placed before the Mahadev and Vitthal-Rukmini idols
A tin collection box near the Maruti shrine within the complex
Currency notes and coins offered by devotees—estimated between ₹50,000 and ₹60,000—were missing from the tampered boxes.
Following the complaint, the Faraskhana Police registered an FIR against unknown individuals. Police Sub-Inspector Rajendra Patole has been assigned as the investigating officer, and authorities are reviewing CCTV footage around the Kasba Peth area to trace the suspects.