Pune: Kalepadal Police Arrest Three, Including Externed Criminal; Two Country-Made Pistols and Live Cartridges Seized
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Hadapsar, 4th June 2026: In a major crackdown on illegal firearms, the Kalepadal Police have arrested three persons, including a history-sheeter who had been externed from the city limits, and seized two country-made pistols, four magazines, and four live cartridges. The total value of the seized property is estimated at ₹1.44 lakh.
A case has been registered at Kalepadal Police Station (C.R. No. 250/2026) under Section 3(25) of the Arms Act, Sections 37(1)(3) read with 135 and 142 of the Maharashtra Police Act, and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
On 2nd June, while a team from Kalepadal Police Station was on routine patrol, Police Constables Vishal Thombare, Giriraj Jagdale, Atul Pandharkar, and Mahadev Shinde received information from a confidential informant.
According to the tip-off, known criminals Akash Santosh Bharti, Ganesh Baban Londhe, and another accomplice were hiding on an unpaved road between Heaven Park and Laxmi Park and were allegedly carrying illegal firearms with the intention of committing a serious cognizable offence.
The information was immediately conveyed to Assistant Police Inspector (API) Amit Shete and Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Vinayak Gurav, who briefed Senior Police Inspector Girisha Nimbalkar. Acting on her instructions, a trap was laid.
During the operation, police raided an open ground near the Heaven Park–Laxmi Park road and detained two suspects:
• Akash Santosh Bharti (27), a resident of Tarawade Vasti, Mohammedwadi Road, Pune
• Deepak Ram Bisht (20), a resident of Handewadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune
A search of the duo led to the recovery of one country-made pistol, one magazine, and two live cartridges. However, taking advantage of the darkness, the third suspect, Ganesh Baban Londhe, managed to escape.
Ganesh Londhe, a history-sheeter who had previously been externed from the Wanwadi Police Station jurisdiction, remained absconding until June 4.
Acting on fresh intelligence, police learned that Londhe was hiding near the Dagai Mata forest area in Tarawade Vasti. API Amit Shete and his team laid another trap and successfully apprehended him on June 4.
During his search, police recovered another country-made pistol, one magazine, and two live cartridges.
With this arrest, police seized a total of two country-made pistols, four magazines, and four live cartridges collectively valued at ₹1.44 lakh.
All three accused have been remanded to police custody. Further investigation is being carried out by API Amit Shete.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Jeevan Benival and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Hadapsar Division) Atul Navgire, and under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Girisha Nimbalkar of Kalepadal Police Station.
The team involved in the operation included API Amit Shete, PSI Vinayak Gurav, and police personnel Pravin Kalbhor, Amol Fadtare, Dawood Sayyad, Pratik Lahigude, Shahid Sheikh, Vishal Thombare, Laxman Kale, Atul Pandharkar, Nitin Dhole, Saddam Tamboli, Pradip Bediskar, Mahadev Shinde, and Giriraj Jagdale.
