In a shocking incident at Shri Sudrikeshwar Devastan in Pargaon Sudrik, Shrigonda taluka, Ahmednagar, two unidentified thieves stole the 40kg silver throne of Shri Sudrikeshwar Maharaj around midnight on Monday. The estimated cost of the stolen throne is around ₹30 lakh, and the entire theft was captured on CCTV.
The village responded strongly to the incident, organising a gram sabha in protest on Monday morning and observing a complete shutdown for the day. Additional Police Superintendent Prashant Khaire, Deputy Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Wakhare, along with officers from the local crime branch, visited the site after receiving information about the incident. The police officials traced the trail to the wall of the primary school.
The theft has triggered anger among the villagers. The thieves arrived at the temple around 12:30 midnight, broke the lock with a cutter, and stole the precious throne. The incident marks the second theft at the Shri Sudrikeshwar Devastan, with the previous incident occurring 50 years ago.
Amit Bagade, a resident, discovered the theft when he visited the temple at 5:15 on Monday morning. Temple priest Ramesh Dhumal also arrived at the scene. The news spread rapidly, and villagers gathered near the temple, expressing their anger and demanding immediate action against the culprits. The temple, which underwent a ₹7 crore renovation by the villagers recently, holds significant religious importance for the community.
