Pargaon: The eastern part of Ambegaon taluka has been under a cloud of fear due to mysterious drone sightings at night over the past month. This situation has been exacerbated by a series of thefts, the latest being a significant onion heist early Monday (July 15) morning in Jarkarwadi.

Unidentified thieves broke into farmer Balasaheb Lalji Bhadekar's storage, cutting through the iron mesh and stealing approximately 50 bags of onions, resulting in a financial loss of around ₹90,000.

Balasaheb Bhadekar had stored around 700 bags of onions in his warehouse near the Dimbhe Right Canal in Jarkarwadi. On Monday (July 15) morning, he discovered that the thieves had cut through the iron mesh and created a hole, through which they stole around 50 bags of onions, loading them into a vehicle, likely a tempo.

With current market prices for onions ranging from ₹280 to ₹300 per 10 kg, the theft has led to a substantial financial loss. Bhadekar promptly reported the incident to the Pargaon Factory Police, who have since inspected the site and launched an investigation.

This incident has added to the growing concerns among local residents, who are already on edge due to the nightly drone sightings. The police are actively investigating both the drone activity and the recent thefts, aiming to restore safety and peace in the region.

Few days back, thieves broke into the Shri Bhairavnath Mata Jogeshwari Temple in Shingwe (Tal. Ambegaon) and stole an estimated ₹50000 from the donation box on Friday (July 12) midnight.

The thieves entered the temple by breaking the steel grill and glass window on the eastern side, then broke the lock on the donation box and took the money.