Pune Crime: 100 LED Streetlights Worth ₹15.75 Lakh Stolen; PMC, Police Yet To Crack Case

The theft of 100 decorative LED streetlights installed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Swami Vivekanand Road under the Bibwewadi ward office remains unsolved, raising serious concerns over the security of civic assets and the pace of the police investigation, months after the theft was reported.

The incident has also sparked questions over discrepancies in the value of the stolen property mentioned in the police complaint.

According to a written reply submitted before the PMC General Body in response to a question raised by BJP corporator Mansi Deshpande, each decorative LED streetlight was procured through the tender process at a cost of ₹15,755, taking the total value of the 100 stolen lights to approximately ₹15.75 lakh.

However, despite the actual procurement cost, the complaint lodged with the Bibwewadi Police on November 22, 2025, reportedly states that property worth only ₹2.60 lakh was stolen. The significant difference between the actual value and the amount mentioned in the complaint has raised questions over whether the civic body's financial loss was understated.

The theft has also exposed glaring lapses in the security of costly public infrastructure. The decorative lights were installed as part of the PMC's beautification drive, but their disappearance has left stretches of the road without the intended illumination while taxpayers continue to bear the financial burden.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the incident. "If 100 streetlights can disappear from a busy road without anyone being held accountable, it raises serious questions about the security of public property. Taxpayers' money is being wasted, and there seems to be no urgency in solving the case or punishing those responsible," said Rahul Shinde, a resident of Bibwewadi.

With no arrests or recovery made so far, the case has become another example of alleged administrative apathy and an ineffective police investigation, prompting citizens to question how such a large-scale theft could take place on a major city road and remain unsolved.