Youth assaulted, stripped for trying to steal from collection box of ganesh mandal in Kalyan

A 20-year-old was arrested by Mahatma Phule police in Kalyan for allegedly trying to steal from the collection box of a Ganesh mandal on Friday.

The incident took place on Friday morning at Raja Ganesh Mandal at Chikanghar in Kalyan (West), when the accused, identified as Deepak Narayan Jadhav, was reportedly caught by the devotees of the mandal while he was trying to steal the box.

Following which, the crowd ganged up on him and assaulted him. The mob also stripped him and tied him to a pole to teach him a lesson. Jadhav’s ordeal came to an end when cops arrived at the scene and took him into custody.

The mandal, which houses the ‘Chikangharcha Raja’, is renowned in the area and attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Anil Pawar, Senior Police Inspector, Mahatma Phule police station confirmed that Jadhav was handed over to the police by the mandal members after he was caught stealing.

Following Jadhav’s arrest, a video of the incident where he was being assaulted by the devotees also made its way on the internet. However, no action was taken against the devotees as Jadhav’s father told the police that his son has been involved in such cases in the past and that he does not wish to file a case against the mandal’s members.

A case against Jadhav has been registered under section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code.