A shocking theft involving around 110 tola of gold ornaments and ₹1.5 lakh in cash, which were brought to the house for Lakshmi Puja, took place in Oglewadi, near Karad railway station. Prateek Vasant Khade has filed a complaint with the city police, and a case has been registered against unknown persons.
The theft occurred at the bungalow 'Sai Villa,' which owned by the late businessman Vasant Khade. He also had a workshop and a garment business at the same location. Vasant Khade passed away a year ago, and since then, his wife, son Prateek, and daughter-in-law have been residing in the bungalow. Due to Diwali, from October 31 to November 6, all employees at the workshop and garment business were given a holiday. Only three watchmen were present to manage the night and day shifts according to their schedule.
On November 2, Prateek and his wife went to Sangli in the morning for the Padwa festival. As they were away and the house was left empty, around 6 pm on the same day, Prateek’s mother went to her maternal home in Hazarmachi, Karad. The house was being looked after by a woman living in a nearby old house.
On the morning of November 4, when one of the watchmen went to turn off the lights in the bungalow area, he discovered that the door to the upper floor was open. He also noticed that the cupboards were broken into. The watchman suspected a theft had occurred and immediately informed Prateek and his mother. Upon investigation, it was confirmed that 110 tola of jewelry and ₹1.5 lakh in cash had been stolen. Prateek then reported the incident to the Karad city police station.
Upon receiving the information, Deputy Superintendent of Police Amol Thakur and Senior Police Inspector Raju Tasildar visited the scene of the crime. Interestingly, a night watchman was present in the cabin in front of the bungalow at the time of the theft. It was found that the thieves had tied two ropes to the balcony railing and the window on the third floor, at the back of the bungalow. Preliminary investigations suggest that the thieves may have climbed up using these ropes, entered the house by cutting the window frame, and then broke the door to gain access.
The police conducted an inspection of the scene and reviewed CCTV footage from the area. The investigation is ongoing as the city police continue to gather clues.
