A theft at a Peshwa-era Shiva temple in Khopoli town of Maharashtra's Raigad district has left devotees and locals stunned. Unidentified thieves made off with a nearly 12-kilogram silver crown that was installed on the temple's Shivling. The stolen crown is estimated to be worth around ₹50 lakh, and the sheer scale and boldness of the theft has shocked people in the area.
Thieves struck despite CCTV cameras on the premises
What has left people most surprised is that the temple complex had CCTV cameras installed for security, yet the thieves managed to reach the Shivling and walk away with the crown without being caught. News of the theft at such a historic and religiously significant temple spread quickly, triggering shock across Khopoli. Devotees who visit the temple for darshan have reacted with anger and concern, with several questioning the adequacy of the temple's security arrangements. As soon as the incident came to light, a case was registered at Khopoli police station and an investigation was launched.
Special team formed under senior police inspector
To crack the case, a special investigation team has been formed under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Sachin Hire. The team is scanning CCTV footage from the temple premises and working through technical evidence and other leads to track down the accused. Police say the investigation is being carried out on a war footing, with efforts focused on establishing the real motive behind the theft, identifying the thieves, and recovering the stolen crown. Officials have expressed confidence that the sensational case will be cracked soon and the culprits arrested.
Meanwhile, more developments in the Ram Mandir donation theft case
Separately, a fresh development is unfolding in the case of theft from donation boxes at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The matter is due to be heard in the Supreme Court on Monday, where a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India will take up the case. Ahead of that, the Special Investigation Team set up by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the donation theft has submitted its status report to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope. Separately, Ayodhya police have seized the car and bike belonging to Ramshankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu Yadav, described as the mastermind of the case, after questioning him and his nephew Manish Yadav during remand. The questioning revealed that it was on Tinnu's instructions that Manish Yadav used to hide the stolen cash in a bathroom. Tinnu had got his nephew Manish Yadav hired for the job of counting temple offerings in April 2026, and within a month of getting the job, Manish carried out the first major theft along with Avinash Shukla.
