Pune: Habitual Offender Arrested Near Bhide Bridge; Country-Made Pistol and Ammunition Seized
Pune, 12th June 2026: In a targeted operation against illegal firearms, the Deccan Police arrested a 35-year-old history-sheeter on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, recovering a country-made pistol and live ammunition. The suspect was apprehended from an open ground near Bhide Bridge along the riverbed after police laid a successful trap based on confidential intelligence.
The arrested individual has been identified as Shrikant alias Sonaya Santosh Maral (35), a resident of Parvati Darshan, Parvati, Pune.
The Tip-off and Apprehension
The breakthrough occurred while an investigation team from the Deccan Police Station—comprising Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Ajay Bhosale and Police Constables Sachin Gaikwad and Sagar Ghadge—was conducting routine patrols within their jurisdiction.
During the patrol, Constable Gaikwad received a tip-off from a confidential informant indicating that Maral, a known criminal on police records, was loitering suspiciously in the open ground near Bhide Bridge. The team immediately dispatched to the site, spotted the suspect, and carried out a body search.
The search yielded:
One country-made pistol valued at approximately ₹50,000.
Two live cartridges valued at ₹500.
The police seized the weapon and ammunition on the spot. Following a formal complaint lodged by Constable Sachin Gaikwad, a case (C.R. No. 142/2026) was registered at the Deccan Police Station under Section 3 read with Section 25 of the Indian Arms Act, and Section 37(1)(3) read with Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act. PSI Ajay Bhosale is currently heading the ongoing investigation.
According to senior police officials, Shrikant Maral is a habitual offender with a history of serious criminal cases registered across the Pune City and Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerates.
The investigation team included Senior Police Inspector Runal Mulla, Police Inspector (Crime) Sapna Deotale, PSI Ajay Bhosale and Police Constables/Enforcers Sachin Gaikwad, Sagar Ghadge, Wasim Siddique, Dattatray Shinde, Rajendra Marne, Sanjay Dandgule, and Dhanshree Supekar.
