High-Value Items Vanish from Pune Municipal Commissioner's Official Residence

Shivajinagar, 5th August 2025: In a major lapse that has raised serious questions about internal accountability, lakhs of rupees worth of items have reportedly gone missing from the official bungalow of the Pune Municipal Commissioner located in Model Colony. The bungalow, spread across half an acre and under round-the-clock security and CCTV surveillance, has allegedly lost air-conditioners, televisions, a chandelier, brass lamps, walkie-talkies, an Aquaguard, and other high-value materials.

The missing items came to light during preparations to re-furnish the bungalow for newly appointed Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, following the retirement of former Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale. According to officials, the missing inventory includes four air-conditioners, two LED televisions, brass decorative pieces, a coffee machine, and water purifiers among other items.

Despite the sensitive nature of the property and its high-profile occupant, no official police complaint has been lodged as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, the civic administration has quietly initiated a procurement proposal of approximately ₹20 lakh to replace the 'stolen' items, with the tendering process already underway.

While the Estate, Building, and Security departments of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are jointly responsible for the maintenance and safeguarding of the bungalow, none have taken ownership of the lapse. Internal confusion continues to dominate the administration, with each department pointing fingers at the other.

Attempts to contact Additional Commissioner (Estate) Prithviraj B. P. for clarification went unanswered. What’s raising further concern is the fact that this is not an isolated incident. A similar theft — involving a television — took place earlier at the Mayor’s official bungalow. That case remains unresolved, with the accused yet to be identified.

Given the level of security and monitoring at such properties, the disappearance of expensive assets without any trace has led to public and internal scrutiny, with many questioning why no FIR has been registered and why accountability is missing in such high-value, sensitive government premises.