Nagpur: Swift action by Jaripatka police led to the arrest of a key suspect involved in the theft of a brass Buddha idol and cash from a Buddhist Vihar in the city. The incident occurred between the night of August 7 and the early hours of August 8 at a Buddha Vihar, where the main gate had been secured with two locks by caretakers before closing.

According to police, caretaker Sushma Bagde arrived at the Vihar around 6:30 am for morning prayers and found the locks on the iron channel gate broken. Inside, the 2.5-foot brass idol of Gautam Buddha, valued at ₹15,000, was missing. The donation box was also gone. A search outside revealed the box smashed open under a peepal tree, with around ₹6,000 in cash missing. Three broken locks from the gate and donation box were found nearby. The total stolen property was valued at ₹21,000.

Based on CCTV footage and technical evidence from the scene, police identified the suspect as Sagar Baban Borkar, a resident of Nagbard, Godhni, under Mankapur police station. Acting on a tip-off, a trap was laid, and Borkar was apprehended. During custodial interrogation, he confessed to committing the theft with an accomplice. The stolen idol, hidden in a house, was recovered in the presence of witnesses. Efforts are underway to trace the second accused.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of DCP (Zone 5) Niketan Kadam, ACP Satyawan Bandiwar, and Senior PI Arun Kshirsagar, with the team comprising API Ashish Morkhede, PSI Maroti Jangilwad, and other police personnel. Citizens have praised the swift investigation and recovery.