Satara (Maarasthra), Nov 10 (IANS): In a bizarre incident, the palace of BJP MP Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale was burgled and a showpiece silver sword weighing around 1.50 kg stolen, sending the Satara police in a tizzy, officials said here on Tuesday.

Chhatrapati Bhosale is the 13th direct descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The incident was reported by the palace staff on Monday and a team of policemen from Shahupuri police station formed to nab the thief cracked the case within hours.

"Within a few hours, we learnt that the thief was going to sell the stolen goods to someone. We laid a trap and caught him as he was proceeding to sell the silver artifact to a customer," Shahupuri Police Station official Vishal Waikar told IANS.

Accused contract labourer Deepak Sutar confessed to the crime and was arrested, said Waikar. He was hired to do some repairs in the secure palace and struck at an opportune moment.

He was presented before a local court this afternoon.

The decorative sword, made of 1.50 kg pure silver, is around 2-feet in length, and is said to be worth around Rs 1.05 lakh, though its historical value is not clear.

Despite repeated attempts by IANS, Chhatrapati Bhosale was not available for comments.