Pune: Alert PMPML Conductor Foils Theft, Helps Police Arrest Ornaments Snatcher Near PMC Building
Pune, 16th September 2025: The alertness and quick response of a PMPML conductor helped nab a thief who had snatched a woman passenger’s bangle near the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) building on Monday evening. The incident, which comes amid rising cases of ornament thefts on PMPML buses, earned the conductor praise from fellow commuters.
The arrested accused has been identified as Lakhan Suhas Jadhav (30), a resident of Sarvodaya Colony, Mundhwa. His accomplice, Chand Sheikh of Mundhwa, managed to escape and has been booked in the case. Police have launched a search for him.
According to the complaint filed by Renu Hadu Sahu (56), a resident of Anandnagar, Sanswadi, Taluka Shirur, District Pune, the incident occurred when she was alighting from a PMPML bus near the PMC building stop. At that time, Jadhav and Sheikh approached her under the pretext of helping with her bag. While pretending to support it, they held it tightly.
Noticing their suspicious behavior, Sahu informed the conductor that the men were forcibly holding her bag. As the bus halted, the duo suddenly jumped off and fled. Soon after, Sahu realized her bangle had been cut and stolen. She raised an alarm, and the PMPML conductor immediately chased down Jadhav, catching him after a brief pursuit. Sheikh managed to escape.
Fellow passengers informed the police, and Jadhav was handed over to them. Assistant Police Inspector Deepak Romade of Shivajinagar Police Station is investigating the case.
Police noted that incidents of ornament thefts targeting women passengers in PMPML buses have been steadily rising over the past year. Thieves often exploit crowded conditions on busy routes, using cutters to snatch bangles or chains in the rush.
