Maharashtra man steals 15 tolas of uncle’s gold to buy new Thar, arrested after inviting him to car puja

A 19-year-old man in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district has been arrested for allegedly stealing gold jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh from his uncle, selling it to a local jeweller and using the money to buy a new Mahindra Thar. In an unusual turn of events, the accused, identified as Samar Popat Chavan, also invited his uncle to the puja ceremony for the newly purchased SUV, according to the complaint.

The incident was reported from Satave village in Panhala tehsil. Police allege that Chavan stole 15 tolas of gold ornaments belonging to his cousin uncle, Umesh Maruti Chavan, and his wife before selling them to jeweller Sangram Babaso More for Rs 10 lakh.

The alleged theft came to light when Umesh went to retrieve the jewellery from a cupboard for the vehicle’s puja ceremony and discovered that the ornaments were missing. Kodoli Police subsequently registered a complaint and began investigating the case.


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How the alleged gold theft was discovered

According to the complaint, the family found that the grandmother’s jewellery had been left untouched, while the gold ornaments belonging to Umesh and his wife were missing. This led to suspicions that someone familiar with the household could have been involved.

Umesh later submitted a written complaint at Kodoli Police Station, prompting police to investigate the missing jewellery and identify the person responsible.

During the probe, investigators reportedly became suspicious of Chavan after learning about his sudden purchase of an expensive vehicle and questioning how he had obtained the money.

Police questioned Chavan, who allegedly confessed to stealing the ornaments from his uncle’s house, according to the account of the case.

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Jeweller also arrested in the case

Following the investigation, Kodoli Police arrested Chavan and Sangram Babaso More, the jeweller accused of buying the stolen gold.

Investigators allege that More purchased the 15 tolas of jewellery for Rs 10 lakh, which Chavan then used to purchase the Mahindra Thar.

The case has drawn attention because the accused allegedly spent the proceeds of the theft on a new SUV and invited the complainant to its puja ceremony, an event that ultimately led to the discovery of the missing ornaments.