A thief, seemingly well-read, felt overwhelmed with guilt upon realizing he had burgled the home of a renowned Marathi poet in Neral, Maharashtra’s Raigad district. As an act of remorse, the thief returned some of the stolen items, including an LED TV, although this gesture might lead police to identify him through fingerprints on the TV and CCTV footage from the area.
The house targeted belonged to Narayan Surve, a celebrated Marathi poet and social activist who passed away on August 16, 2010, at the age of 84. Known for vividly depicting the struggles of the urban working class in his poems, Surve’s residence is now inhabited by his daughter Sujata Ghare and her husband Ganesh Ghare. They were away visiting their son in Virar on June 26, and upon returning on July 14, they were informed by a neighbor about a break-in through a toilet window.
Upon inspecting the house, the Ghare couple discovered several items missing and also found a note left by the thief next to a large photograph of Narayan Surve.
The note expressed regret, stating, “I was not aware that the house belonged to Narayan Surve, or else I would have never stolen from there. I have returned the LED TV set I stole. Sorry,” as recounted by Sujata Ghare to The Indian Express.
Although the thief returned the TV, other items such as taps, cooking powder, a table fan, utensils, and a five-liter bottle of Suryaful cooking oil remained missing. The Ghare family promptly reported the incident to the local police station, leading to the registration of an FIR.
Inspector Shivaji Dhawale from Neral police station confirmed the ongoing investigation, mentioning that they are relying on fingerprints from the LED TV and CCTV footage to track down the culprit. It is believed that the thief may have entered the house multiple times and only realized it belonged to the poet upon seeing his photograph.
Narayan Surve, born in Mumbai, had a challenging upbringing as an orphan on the streets before rising to prominence as a Marathi poet. His poetry, which celebrated labor and challenged established literary norms, continues to resonate in Marathi literature.