Nearly a year after a major fire damaged Reliance Mart in Nagpur’s Laxmi Nagar area, police have registered a theft case against three employees for allegedly misappropriating goods worth Rs 3.20 lakh that had been saved from the blaze. Bajaj Nagar Police have identified the accused as Ganesh Manohar Maske (38), a resident of Imamwada, Judivian Vijay Marian (39), a resident of Jaripatka and Vaibhav Pathade. They are accused of stealing household items from the salvaged stock and selling them for personal profit.

 

The Reliance Mart had caught fire on the day of Lakshmi Pujan last year, causing extensive damage to the store. Investigations had found that encroachments in the parking area and cardboard boxes stored in the storeroom helped the fire spread rapidly. Although there were no casualties, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) later issued a closure notice to the mall following objections raised by local residents. After the incident, the management disposed of the fire-damaged goods as per rules, while the items that were not damaged were kept separately.

 

During the annual audit, officials found that goods worth about Rs 3.20 lakh were missing from the salvaged stock. Following the discrepancy, store manager Chandrashekhar Anna Gotmare conducted an internal inquiry. The investigation allegedly revealed that three employees had removed the goods and sold them privately. Based on the manager’s complaint, Bajaj Nagar Police registered a case of theft against the accused. Police have started further investigation to recover the stolen goods.