NASHIK: Thieves are having a field day while the city is engulfed in a deluge.
In the past couple of days, police have registered a number of complaints related to thefts of valuables, gas cylinders, clothes and even a silver crown from a shrine in the heart of the city.
Areas that once used to be bustling with people wear a deserted look as they have been inundated by floodwaters. Taking advantage of the situation, petty thieves are targeting such spots at their will in a bid to make some easy money—for instance, the theft reported from the Ganga Godavari temple in Panchavati.
The shrine, which streams with pilgrims all year round, now wears a deserted look ever since the floodwaters engulfed its premises.
According to the Panchavati police, accused Mukesh Digambar Dixit entered the shrine sometime between August 2 and 4, broke open the cupboard safe in the premises and decamped with a 300g silver crown worth Rs 12,000, along with Rs 2,000 cash. Dixit was later arrested.
Senior inspector at the Panchavati police station Dinesh Bardekar said "We received information that a suspect had approached a city jeweller to sell the crown. We acted on the tip-off and arrested him."
But this is not the lone theft case registered with the police. In the past few days, the police have come across complaints relating to thefts of gas cylinders, clothes and other items from various parts of the city.
Saurabh Ambekar, a seller of brass items in Saraf Bazaar, said the riverside stalls and shops were washed away in the strong current of Tuesday's deluge. "Many shopkeepers have been complaining that their wares were stolen during the flood. Their merchandise is being sold in the open in other places at lower costs," Ambekar said.
A roadside vendor operating a food stall also reported the theft of his cooking gas cylinder.
Small items like oil cans, iron rods, plates, food grain, coconut sacks and other valuables that were left unattended are being lifted at night, the shop owners complained.
A garment shop owner, Ayush Sancheti, said, "Most of the shops in the low-lying areas have mud and silt accumulated due to the flood. Shopkeepers have emptied their shops and kept their merchandise outside to clean them up. Thieves take advantage of this and steal their goods."
Bardekar has appealed to the shopkeepers to be vigilant and keep their items in safe places as a precautionary measure to avoid any thefts. "While the police patrol the city daily, there could still be the possibility of thefts taking place. The victims should come forward and register their complaints with us," he added.