Thane: The Vishnunagar Police have booked a idol maker cum owner for allegedly cheating a Ganesha devotee who had paid an advance for an idol, which was never delivered. The complainant, Bhagawan Pawar, a resident of Dombivli West, filed a police complaint after the sculptor disappeared.
Devotees in Dombivli were shocked to learn that the Idol maker of the idol workshop had fled due to workload pressure, without informing anyone. The incident caused distress among many as the Ganesh idol was scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. However, the idol maker abandoned the workshop after failing to meet deadlines due to an overwhelming number of orders.
On September, 19, the complainant had booked a Ganesh idol from Annadi Kala Kendra on Mahatma Phule Road in Dombivli West, paying an advance of ₹1501 to Prafful Prashuram Tambade. When Pawar visited the workshop on Monday, he found it shut and discovered that Tambade had fled, leaving the idols behind.
Police Action and Manhunt
The Vishnunagar Police have filed an FIR against Tambade (40) under Sections 318(4) and 316(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Ram Chopade, Senior Police Inspector at Vishnunagar Police Station, said, “We rushed to the site after receiving complaints from angry customers. During our inquiry, it was revealed that Tambade had taken on more than 200 orders for small Ganesh idols, with only five or six workers available. The workers said that Tambade was overwhelmed, even seen crying the night before he disappeared, unable to complete the orders. We have launched a manhunt for him”
One customer who had booked an idol of lord Ganesha and paid an advance of ₹500 shared his experience: “I visited the factory last week and saw that some work was still pending. When I returned two days ago, it was shut. I found my idol incomplete, and most people who had booked idols simply took whatever was ready. Now I’m looking for another idol because I need one before the festival.”
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Ganeshotsav 2025: First Look Of Mumbaicha Raja Unveiled With Stunning Rameshwaram Temple Theme | VIDEOAnother devotee reported that he and a friend arrived only to see someone else taking what they believed was their idol. “We stopped them and claimed the idol was ours. Since there was no staff present and no supervision, people were just taking whatever idols were ready. The owner should have faced the pressure instead of fleeing, which only worsened the situation.”
