Pune Shocker! Thieves Target 19 Evacuated Homes In Maval Tehsil After Landslide, Residents Blame Administration

Lonavala: Days after a deadly landslide forced residents of Patan village in Pune’s Maval taluka to evacuate their homes, thieves allegedly broke into 19 locked houses and stole cash, jewellery and other valuables worth lakhs of rupees.

The burglary, which took place late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, has triggered outrage among villagers, who have accused the administration of failing to provide security after ordering the evacuation.

Patan village, located near Malavali at the foothills of Visapur Fort, was evacuated earlier this week after a massive landslide killed three members of a family and damaged several houses and vehicles. Continuous heavy rainfall had raised fears of more landslides, prompting authorities to shift residents to safer locations.

According to villagers, the accused took advantage of the deserted village. They allegedly broke door locks, latches and window panes of 19 houses before fleeing with gold and silver ornaments, cash and other valuables.

The incident came as another shock for residents already struggling to recover from the landslide. Many families had left their homes after following the administration’s appeal to move to safer places.

Angry villagers questioned why security was not provided after the evacuation.

“We left our homes because the administration asked us to. Was it not then their responsibility to protect our properties? If even two police personnel had been deployed for patrolling, this could have been prevented,” a resident said.

Residents said they have now suffered both emotional and financial losses. Along with the grief of losing neighbours in the landslide and the fear of returning to unsafe homes, they are now facing the loss of their valuables and savings.

The villagers have demanded an immediate investigation and the arrest of those responsible. They have also sought compensation for the losses suffered in the burglaries and asked the administration to conduct spot inspections of the affected houses.

Residents have further demanded round-the-clock police security in the evacuated village until people can safely return. They have also urged the government to speed up rehabilitation work and restore damaged infrastructure, including roads, drinking water supply and electricity.

Earlier this week, a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck Patan village, claiming the lives of three members of the same family. The incident also damaged several houses and washed away the village’s drinking water pipeline, leaving residents without a regular water supply.