Pune: 2-Year-Old Kidnapped Girl Rescued from Dharashiv; Gang Involved in Begging Racket Busted
Katraj, 29th July 2025: In a swift and coordinated operation, Pune Police rescued a kidnapped 2-year-old girl from Dharashiv district and exposed a gang involved in abducting children for begging purposes.
The incident came to light after the girl was kidnapped in her sleep from the slum near Wonder City in Katraj on the night of July 25. A case (FIR No. 353/2025) was registered at Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Considering the gravity of the crime and the age of the victim, Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar directed all units to prioritize the search.
Acting on these instructions, Senior Police Inspector Rahul Khilare of Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station formed dedicated investigation teams. Additional teams from the Crime Branch and nearby police stations were also deployed. Extensive CCTV footage analysis along the Katraj–Pune Station route revealed two men and a woman transporting the child on a two-wheeler toward Pune Railway Station. Further footage from the railway station showed two more individuals accompanying them.
Based on facial recognition and informer inputs, the investigation pointed to the accused being residents of Tuljapur in Dharashiv district. Teams led by PSI Nilesh Mokashi of Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station and Assistant Police Inspector Ashish Kavathekar of Crime Branch Unit 2, under the guidance of senior officers, rushed to the location with assistance from Dharashiv Local Crime Branch (LCB).
The accused were identified and taken into custody:
Sunil Sitaram Bhosale (51), labourer, resident of Motijara, Tuljapur
Shankar Ujanya Pawar (50), resident of Dikamal, Pardhi Vasti, Tuljapur
Shalubai Prakash Kale (45), resident of Dikamal, Pardhi Vasti, Tuljapur
Ganesh Babu Pawar (35), resident of Dikamal, Pardhi Vasti, Tuljapur
Mangal Harful Kale (19), resident of Range Hill, Khadki Railway Line Slum, Pune
During interrogation, the abducted child was found unharmed. The accused admitted they had kidnapped the girl to use her for begging.
The successful rescue was the result of tireless efforts led by:
Additional CP (Crime) Pankaj Deshmukh
Additional CP (West Region) Rajesh Bansode
DCP, Crime Branch Nikhil Pingle
DCP, Zone 2 Milind Mohite
ACP (Crime 2) Rajendra Mulik
ACP, Swargate Division Rahul Aware
Police units involved in the operation included:
Senior PI, Bharati Vidyapeeth PS Rahul Khilare
PI (Crime) Jitendra Kadam
PI, Crime Branch Unit 1 Kumar Ghatge
PI, Crime Branch Unit 2 Anjum Bagwan
Officers: Ashish Kavathekar, Amol Rasal, Nilesh Mokashi, Swapnil Patil
Police personnel: Vaibhav Magdum, Mahesh Baravkar, Mangesh Pawar, Sachin Sarpale, Mangesh Gaikwad, Kiran Sable, Abhinay Chaudhary, Mitesh Chormole, Sagar Borge, Tukaram Sutar, Sandeep Agle, Navnath Bhosale, Nilesh Khairmode
Crime Branch Unit 2 officers: Jadhav, Shankar Kumbhar, Aba Mokashi, Vijay Pawar, Shankar Nevse, Vinod Chavan, Sanjay Abnave, Om Kumbhar, Santosh Takle, Rahul Shinde, Sadhana Tamhane, Nikhil Jadhav, Saddam Tamboli, Shubham Desai, Mayur Bhosale, Nilesh Sable, Amit Jamdade
Dharashiv LCB personnel: Led by Samadhan Waghmare’s team
