A habitual thief from Kudal, Maharashtra, took advantage of the Ganesh festival rush to rob a Merces flat of valuables worth ₹10 lakh. The accused, identified as Anand alias Aksha Mhadekar, broke into the first-floor residence of Pooja Mangaonkar on August 28 by sneaking in through a window. He fled with gold and silver ornaments. Following CCTV analysis, Merces police tracked and arrested Mhadekar, who was later found to be involved in at least four other house break-ins in Kudal.