Can remorse change a thief? Stolen valuables returned to Marathi writer's house

A robber was filled with regret after finding that the residence he took assets that belonged to a prominent Marathi writer and returned the valuables he had fled with, police said on Tuesday.

Police said the residence where the robber stole the items, including an LED TV, belonged to Narayan Surve and was located in Neral, Raigad district.

Surve, a prominent Marathi poet and social activist, died on August 16, 2010 at the age of 84. Born in Mumbai, his poetry powerfully describe the challenges of the metropolitan working class.


Surve's daughter Sujata and her husband Ganesh Ghare now live at that house. They had traveled to Virar to be with their son, and their house had been shut for ten days. During this time, the robber entered the residence and stole several items, including the LED TV set.

When he went the next day to pick up a few more pieces, he came across Surve's photo and memorabilia in a room. The thief, who was clearly well-read, expressed regret and returned all of the stuff he had taken. He left a short message on a wall, seeking the owner's forgiveness for stealing from such a great literary figure's home. Sujata and her husband found the note after they returned from Virar on Sunday, according to Neral police inspector Shivaji Dhavle.

Surve grew up as an orphan on Mumbai's streets before becoming a famous Marathi poet. He survived by working as a domestic help, a dishwasher in a hotel, a babysitter, a pet-dog caregiver, a milk delivery boy, a porter, and a mill hand. Surve's poetry exalted effort and questioned Marathi literary standards.

Police are conducting additional investigations based on the fingerprints found on the television and other items.

[With PTI inputs]