So much so that an interstate gang allegedly travelled hundreds of kilometres to steal 16 of them from Paithan in a single night. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : Once dismissed as the poor man’s beast of burden, the donkey has suddenly become hot property.
Police say an animal can now fetch between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh. Paithan police have now arrested six members of an Andhra Pradesh-based gang in connection with the theft of 16 donkeys from different parts of the town. The animals had been stolen in the early hours of Aug 5. Their price has reportedly climbed to between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh.
Police said they discovered that the men were allegedly part of an interstate gang specialising in stealing donkeys. Inspector Mahadev Gomare, of Paithan police, said the probe has also brought into focus the growing demand for the animals. With cheap labour becoming difficult to source, donkeys are increasingly sought for strenuous work, particularly at mining and sand-lifting sites, police said.
Behind this unlikely crime spree is a sharp shift in demand. Cheap labour has become harder to find at mines and sand-lifting sites. Donkeys are increasingly filling that gap. That rising value has also made them targets for organised thieves. Their owners woke up to find them missing. Police had then registered a theft case against unidentified people. One suspect purportedly disclosed thefts in Paithan, Pathardi and Rahata. The court remanded them in police custody for a day.
They were brought to Paithan and produced before a magistrate on Tuesday.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar rural SP Prakash Jadhav said the Paithan investigation indicated that the gang allegedly stole donkeys and transported them to other states before selling them. Police intercepted them. Inside, they allegedly found sharp-edged weapons and chilli powder. Five mobile phones were also seized. Police initially suspected the men were preparing for a highway robbery or dacoity. The questioning, however, took the investigation in an unexpected direction.