Pune: A rickshaw driver’s oversight in leaving his house key on a shoe stand has resulted in a significant financial setback, with gold worth ₹2.5 lakh stolen in a brazen daylight robbery.

The incident occurred when Baburao Shinde, a rickshaw driver residing in Nisarg Heights, Dhayari, Pune, left his house key in the shoe stand, unknowingly inviting trouble.

Shinde’s family follows a regular morning routine: the entire family leaves the house by 8 AM, and their son locks up at 11 AM before heading to school.

This routine had been unbroken for nearly two years. However, on September 25, the son locked the door as usual and left, unaware of the thief lurking nearby.

The thief, who had been observing the family’s routine, took the key from the shoe stand and unlocked the door. Within 15 minutes, he managed to steal three and a half tolas of gold.

Shinde’s wife returned home in the evening and, while going about her usual tasks, noticed that the ring box in the cupboard was open. A closer look revealed that all the gold items were missing.

The family questioned each other, but none had opened the cupboard since morning. Upon checking the CCTV footage, they discovered a young boy committing the theft, prompting them to approach the police. Police have registered the case and are actively searching for the suspect.

In light of the incident, the police have urged residents to change locks rather than just keys if a key is misplaced. The complainants, who expressed their distress, highlighted that the stolen gold had been acquired through years of hard work.