Pimpri Chinchwad Crime Branch Arrests Notorious Chain Snatcher After Dramatic Chase; Five Cases Solved, Ornaments Worth Rs 15 Lakh Seized

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Chinchwad, 12th June 2026: In a major breakthrough, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Crime Branch (Unit-1) has arrested a 31-year-old repeat offender following a high-speed, dramatic “filmy-style” chase in Pune’s Baner area. The arrest has resolved five active chain-snatching cases registered across various police jurisdictions.

During the operation, the police recovered 76 grams of stolen gold ornaments valued at ₹15,00,000 (Fifteen Lakh Rupees) and seized two high-end sports motorcycles utilized by the accused to execute the crimes.

The police action began following a daylight robbery on the morning of June 3, 2026, at approximately 10:00 AM. An unidentified individual riding a sports motorcycle targeted a pedestrian walking in front of the main gate of Sudarshan Paradise, Phase-1, in the Vishalnagar area of Pimple Nilakh. The suspect snatched a gold chain weighing 2 tolas (approximately 20 grams) directly from the victim’s neck and sped away. A case was subsequently registered at the Sangvi Police Station (Crime Register No. 237/2026) under Section 309(6) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Recognizing the gravity and audacity of the daytime offense, Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinay Kumar Choubey directed the Crime Branch to prioritize the case and immediately apprehend the perpetrator. Under the supervision of Joint Commissioner of Police Shashikant Mahavarkar, Additional Commissioner of Police Sarang Awad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rohidas Pawar, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime-1) Dr. Vishal Hire, a dedicated investigation was initiated. ACP Dr. Vishal Hire visited the crime scene and instructed Senior Police Inspector Arvind Pawar of Crime Branch Unit-1 to lead the hunt.

Senior PI Arvind Pawar formed two specialized teams to track down the suspect. The teams meticulously mapped out the routes taken by the suspect before and after the incident, scanning and analyzing between 150 and 200 CCTV camera feeds across various localities. The technical analysis revealed a critical pattern: the suspect had been active in several other areas, including Talegaon Dabhade, Dehu Road, and Dapodi. The footage also showed that the suspect regularly utilized the Bangalore Highway (Bypass) for transit and was frequently spotted scouting Pune’s Baner area for potential targets on his sports motorcycle.

The Dramatic ‘Filmy’ Arrest

Acting on this intelligence, the Crime Branch teams laid a continuous day-and-night trap in the Baner area for two to three days. On the evening of June 7, 2026, at around 8:30 PM (20:30 hrs), the suspect entered the Baner area on his sports motorcycle, apparently scouting for another target. Upon noticing the police presence and sensing a trap, the suspect attempted to speed away. The police teams pursued him in a high-octane, dramatic “filmy-style” chase, successfully intercepting and courageously apprehending him at the scene.

The apprehended suspect has been identified as Sumit Govind Ingale, aged 31. He currently resides in Mamurdi Village, located in the Haveli Taluka of Pune District, and is originally a native of Shripat Pimpri in the Barsi Taluka of Solapur District. In-depth interrogation during police custody revealed that Ingale operated entirely alone, utilizing fast sports motorcycles to execute precise snatchings before escaping via highways.

The intensive interrogation of the accused during police custody led to the successful resolution of five prominent chain-snatching cases registered in 2026 across various jurisdictions under the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

These solved cases include:
A chain-snatching incident registered at the Sangvi Police Station under Crime Register Number 237/2026 and charged under BNS Section 309(6).
An offense registered at the Dapodi Police Station under Crime Register Number 49/2026 and charged under BNS Section 309(4).
A case registered at the Talegaon Police Station under Crime Register Number 170/2026 and charged under BNS Section 309(4)6.

A robbery case registered at the Dehu Road Police Station under Crime Register Number 137/2026 and charged under BNS Section 309.
A snatching incident registered at the Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station under Crime Register Number 321/2026 and charged under BNS Section 304.

Following these confessions, the police successfully recovered 76 grams of stolen gold ornaments, valued at approximately ₹15,00,000, and seized two sports motorcycles utilized in committing these crimes.

Extensive Past Criminal History

A deep dive into the criminal records of Sumit Govind Ingale revealed that he is a habitual offender with an extensive history of serious property and financial offenses dating back to 2016. In 2016, Ingale was involved in multiple robbery cases, including two registered at the Hinjawadi Police Station under Crime Register Numbers 509/2016 and 529/2016, both under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 392 and 34, and a third robbery case at the Sangvi Police Station under Crime Register Number 412/2016, also under IPC Sections 392 and 34. In the same year, he was also booked for cheating and criminal breach of trust in two separate cases at the Shirwal Police Station, registered under Crime Register Numbers 110/2016 and 150/2016 under IPC Sections 420 and 406.

More recently, in 2024, Ingale’s criminal activities resurfaced in the Sinhagad area, where he was named as the primary accused in three separate robbery cases registered at the Sinhagad Police Station under Crime Register Numbers 71/2024, 95/2024, and 97/2024, all charged under IPC Section 392.

The successful operation was conducted under the guidance of Additional Commissioner Sarang Awad, DCP (Crimes) Rohidas Pawar, and ACP (Crimes-1) Dr. Vishal Hire.

The Crime Branch Unit-1 executing team was led by Senior Police Inspector Arvind Pawar (In-charge) and included Assistant Police Inspector (API) Dattatray Guleg, Police Sub-Inspectors (PSI) Karmaraj Gawade and Shivanand Swami, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Pramod Wethal, along with police personnel Santosh Ingale, Usha Dahle, Police Havaldars Mahadev Jawale, Deva Raut, Shivaram Bhope, Ajay Dagale, Sagar Awasare, Maruti Karachunde, and Vijay Shelkande. The team also consisted of Police Constables Sandesh Deshmukh, Vijay Janrao, Tejas Bhalchim, Sohel Chikhalkar, and Keshav Chepte.