Pune: Educated Phone Thief Nabbed in Shivajinagar, Stole to Support Himself and Girlfriend – Police

Shivajinagar, 23rd January 2024: The Shivajinagar police have arrested an educated thief who specialises in stealing mobile phones and reselling them using counterfeit bills. The accused, identified as Omkar Vinod Battul, a 22-year-old resident of Nana Peth and a B.Sc graduate, was apprehended following a thorough investigation by the Shivajinagar Police.

“He was unemployed and resorted to stealing phones to sell them, meeting the expenses for both himself and his girlfriend,” an officer said.

The police uncovered that Battul had pilfered a mobile phone from a furniture shop in the old Topkhana area of Shivajinagar. Senior Police Inspector Chandrasekhar Sawant instructed the investigative team to delve into the mobile theft case.

With the efforts of Assistant Police Inspector Bajirao Naik, Police Constable Rupesh Waghmare, Adesh Chalawadi, and Ruchika Jamdade, the accused was traced and subsequently arrested in the Shivajinagar area.

Upon the arrest of Battul, a total of 17 stolen mobile phones were confiscated from his possession. The investigation revealed that the accused manipulated bills of stolen phones, deceiving buyers by selling them as his own.

The elaborate scheme came to light as the police, under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Singh Gill and Assistant Commissioner Vasant Kunwar, cracked down on the mobile theft operation led by Senior Inspector Chandrashekhar Sawant.

Pune Police issued an appeal to the public, urging both buyers and sellers to exercise caution and thoroughly verify bills when dealing with old mobile phones.