The state funeral services of the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were tinged with a string of brazen thefts. Using the huge crowds and the weakened emotions of the mourners against themselves, a group of professional thieves allegedly took gold chains and decorative objects from at least 15 individuals, with the total amount worth of stolen goods reported to be between ₹25 lakh and ₹30 lakh. At Vidya Pratishthan grounds, the mortal remains of the NCP leader were stored for the public to observe, and for the rituals.
Exploiting the Crowd
This group of people, with more than a lakh people flocking into Baramati to say farewell to "Dada," was such a massive crowd that the massive flow of crowd made it an ideal cover for criminals. As supporters prepared to pay their respects, the gang worked through the din cutting or stealing gold chains from unsuspecting mourners.
Both the scale and scope of the theft have raised critical questions about the security measures in place. And despite the number of approximately 8,000 police officers and additional security wings, the thieves were able to operate with a chilling audacity.
Rapid Police Response and Arrests
According to the victims' clamor in protest, Baramati Taluka police immediately carried out its investigation. Vigilant citizens were able to catch some suspects red-handed in the crowd, handing them over to the authorities.
Since then, police have arrested and registered cases against six people:
- Mohammad Yunus
- Rajkumar Athawale
- Ejaz Mirawale
- Mohammad Siraj
- Balu Botre
- And two other unidentified accomplices.
Inspector Chandrashekhar Yadav said the accused are being interrogated as to where the stolen jewelry is. “We have received about 10 to 12 formal complaints to date, and we are currently attempting to recover the ornaments as quickly as possible,” he said.
A City in Shock
The theft has sparked far-reaching anger among the citizens of Baramati and Ajit Pawar's political supporters. “It’s horrifying that individuals would use such a sad incident to engage in crimes. We were all in tears, and these were criminals trying to get gold,” said one victim who had lost a 40-gram gold chain.
