Pune Airport Police Detain Woman for Carrying Unlicensed Pistol, Two Live Cartridges
Viman Nagar, 25th September 2025: Airport police detained Vaishali Vaibhav Doshi (44), a sevika practising Tantra Vidya from Baramati, with origins in Kurduwadi, Solapur, after she was found carrying an unlicensed pistol and two live cartridges while boarding an Air India Express flight to Delhi via Indore around 6 pm on Tuesday. This marks the second such incident at the airport within three days.
The woman, who is associated with an akhada in Varanasi, was released after being issued a notice directing her to appear for further investigations whenever summoned.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IV), Somay Mundhe, said, “The firearm was illegal, and its magazine contained two live cartridges. We registered the FIR at 10:30 pm on Tuesday after completing the panchanama and recording statements of all involved. Since it was late at night and the person in question was a woman, we chose to issue a notice rather than arrest her immediately. Our investigation is ongoing to determine the source of the firearm and her intent in carrying it.”
According to police sources, the woman handed her handbag to a baggage screening counter operated by a private airline. The operator noticed the pistol and cartridges on the screening machine and raised an alarm. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, along with airport authorities, detained her and escorted her to the airport police station.
Jayendra Shirodkar (33), an airport security screener, filed a police complaint late Tuesday night, stating, “The woman does not have a licence for the firearm. We questioned her about the source of the weapon and why she was carrying it, but she did not provide any information.”
An officer added, “We suspect the weapon may have been brought from Uttar Pradesh and remained in her purse when she entered the airport.”
The airport police continue to investigate the matter, focusing on the origin of the firearm and its intended use.
