Pimpri Chinchwad: 11 Stolen Cars Worth Rs 1.57 Crore Recovered From Inter-State Gang, Policeman Among 10 Accused

Varad Bhatkhande

Chinchwad, 13th January 2024: The Anti-Robbery Squad of Pimpri-Chinchwad Crime Branch has successfully apprehended an inter-state gang involved in the sale of stolen cars, valued at Rs 1 crore 57 lakh, with operations spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. The arrests were made following a meticulous operation that unveiled the use of fake documents in the illegal trade.

The crackdown came after ASI Mahesh Khande and police constable Nitin Lokhande received information about a vehicle thief heading to the Hinjawadi area. Shashikant Prakash Kakade and Azim Salim Pathan were detained along with two stolen cars, one of which was reported stolen from Chakan in 2021. The case was then transferred to the Anti-Robbery Squad for further investigation.

Apart from the seized vehicles, it was discovered that the accused had more stolen cars traded based on forged documents. The operation resulted in the recovery of 11 luxury four-wheelers from Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan.\

The gang, consisting of individuals from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka, operated as an inter-state network. The accused were identified as Rajaram alias Raju Tukaram Khedekar, Mahesh Bhimashankar Saswe, Prashant Mane, Vikas Mane, Bharat Khodkar, Hafiz, Ilyas, and Rasul Shaikh.

Shockingly, one of the accused, Bharat Khodkar, was revealed to be a police constable in the Sangli District Police Force, aiding his accomplices in vehicle theft and illegal sales.

Further investigations led to the discovery of two fake currency notes of Rs.500 with accused Mahesh Sasve, prompting the initiation of a new case. Notably, Azim Pathan, one of the arrested individuals, had a history of being arrested by Satara Police in 2023 for a similar crime involving the theft of nine four-wheelers.

Azim’s modus operandi included flying to Delhi to steal vehicles with the assistance of his colleagues. These stolen vehicles were then sold in Maharashtra at reduced prices, facilitated by the use of fake documents.

The successful operation was conducted under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Vinay Kumar Choubey, Joint Commissioner of Police Dr Sanjay Shinde, Additional Commissioner of Police Vasant Pardeshi, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Swapna Gore. The commendable efforts of the entire team, including Assistant Commissioner of Police Balasaheb Kopner, Assistant Commissioner of Police Satish Mane, and several officers and constables, led to the unravelling of this inter-state criminal network.