Pune: During a peace rally in Pune on Sunday in support of Maratha reservation, several participants reported thefts, including gold chains, mobile phones, and cash. The total value of the stolen items is estimated at ₹9 lakh, with complaints lodged at Vishrambaug and Swargate police stations.
The march, which attracted thousands of Maratha community members and was attended by leader Manoj Jarange-Patil, became a target for opportunistic thieves who exploited the large crowds. Multiple incidents were reported from different areas along the march route.
On Bajirao Road near Futka Buruj, a participant named Pranay Lakshman Palskar had his gold chain, worth ₹92,000, snatched by thieves.
In the Sarasbaug area, gold chains worth ₹85,000 were stolen from two individuals. Prakash Suresh Suryawanshi (42, resident of Sushrut Residency, near Gajanan Temple, Narhe) has lodged a complaint at Swargate police station. Suryawanshi and his acquaintance Datta Tupe were standing in the Sarasbaug area on Sunday afternoon when the theft occurred.
In the Jedhe Chowk area of Swargate, a theft of ₹57,500 in cash from a person’s pocket was reported. Balasaheb Dnyaneshwar Pilavare (54, resident of Khadakmal Ali, Ghorpade Peth) filed a complaint at Swargate police station.
In the same area, a theft of a gold chain worth ₹3.30 lakh was reported. Satyawan Laxman Jagtap (51, resident of Malegaon, Baramati) lodged the complaint. Jagtap, along with his acquaintances Jalindar Survase and Surendra Kadam, was on his way to participate in the peace march on Sunday afternoon when the theft occurred.
In another incident, a gold chain worth ₹3.30 lakh was stolen from Deepak Bapu Bandal (37, resident of Wadachi Wadi, Haveli) in the same area. Police Sub-Inspector Rathod is investigating these cases.
