Pune: Hadapsar Police Arrest Inter-State Mobile Phone Thieves During Ganeshotsav; Seize 20 Expensive Sets
Pune, 24th September 2023: Hadapsar police have arrested a gang of thieves from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, seizing 20 expensive mobile phones worth Rs 3.8 lakh. The arrests come amid the ongoing Ganeshotsav celebrations, where large crowds have made theft a significant concern.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team led by Assistant Inspector Vijay Kumar Shinde and Sub Inspector Avinash Shinde apprehended the suspects at Gandhi Chowk in Hadapsar. The arrested individuals are Kaushal Munna Rawat (Age 21, Res. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh), Santosh Singh Shravan Singh (Age 22, Res. Jharkhand), Jogeshwar Kumar Ratan Mahato (Age 30, Res. Jharkhand), and Suraj Ramlal Mahato (Age 30, Res. Jharkhand). A minor has also been detained in connection with the case.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the accused targeted areas around Faraskhana, Swargate, Bundgarden, and Hadapsar police stations. They initially met at Lucknow railway station before traveling to Pune to carry out their thefts.
The special team was formed under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5) Vikrant Deshmukh, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ashwini Rakh, and Senior Inspector Ravindra Shelke. Police officers Ajit Madane and Prashant Tonpe were instrumental in gathering the information that led to the arrests.
The Ganeshotsav festival attracts large crowds, making it a hotbed for thefts. Citizens visiting both the city center and suburbs have fallen victim to mobile phone thefts, raising concerns about public safety during the festivities.
