Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday met his former ally and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the first time after the NCP leader joined the Eknath Shinde government.

Thackeray, a member of the state legislative council, attended the house proceedings for a brief period. It was also his first visit to the legislature after deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe, his one-time party colleague, joined the Shinde-led rival Shiv Sena.

"I asked him to do good work for the state and people," Thackeray said after meeting Pawar, who is also the finance minister, at his office.

The former chief minister noted that he had worked with Pawar in his cabinet and knew his style of functioning. Pawar was Thackeray's deputy in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

"I am confident that people of the state will get aid because he has the keys to the treasury," Thackeray added.

Earlier this month, Ajit Pawar and eight other Nationalist Congress Party MLAs joined the Shinde government, virtually splitting the party founded by Sharad Pawar.

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Haveri (Karnataka) (PTI): Six unidentified men allegedly broke into a jewellery shop and decamped with gold and silver articles worth over Rs 40 lakh in this district in the wee hours of Saturday, police said.

The theft occurred at a jewellery shop in Chikkanshihosur village in Hanagal taluk of Haveri district between 1.45 am and 2.30 am, they said.

According to police, the six men, with their faces covered and wearing gloves, allegedly broke into the shop after midnight by cutting open both shutters.

After gaining entry, they covered three of the four CCTV cameras installed inside the shop and decamped with a safe locker. However, their act was recorded on one CCTV camera that was not covered.

Citing preliminary investigations, a senior police officer said 19 kg of silver items worth Rs 21 lakh and 219 grams of gold ornaments worth Rs 22 lakh were stolen from the shop.

A case of theft has been registered, he said.

“We have some clues about the vehicle used to transport the stolen jewellery, and efforts are underway to trace the vehicle and nab the suspects involved in the theft,” he added.

Further investigation is underway.