Pune: Jewelry Worth Rs 16 Lakh Recovered From Chain-Snatching Gang That Targeted Women On Morning Walks In Pimpri-Chinchwad
Chinchwad, 18th December 2023: The Crime Branch Unit 4 of Pimpri-Chinchwad Police has successfully dismantled a gang involved in snatching gold chains from women during their morning walks. The accused have been linked to 14 crimes, leading to the seizure of gold jewelry valued at Rs 16,30,000.
The arrested individuals include Anand Lohar, Akshay Ashok Murkute, Ganpat Jawaharlal Sharma (receiving stolen jewelry), and Darshan Ramesh Parikh (receiving stolen jewelry).
According to DCP (Crime Branch) Swapna Gore, the modus operandi involved targeting women during their morning walks, forcibly snatching gold chains. The crimes were remarkably similar in execution in Bhosari and Sangvi police station areas.
A team led by Police Inspector Santosh Patil of Crime Branch Unit Four made the breakthrough with the help of CCTV footage analysis and a valuable tip-off. Anand Sunil Salunkhe, alias Lohar, was nabbed from the Khadki area, providing a crucial lead.
Further investigation revealed that Mahadev, alias Ajay Gautam Thorat, along with Anand, was involved in stealing a motorcycle from Mahalunge police station area and snatching gold chains. The efforts of the Crime Branch Unit led to the identification and subsequent arrest of the entire gang.
Accused Anand was found to be selling the stolen jewelry to jewelers Ganpat Jawaharlal Sharma and Darshan Ramesh Parekh through Akshay Ashok Murkute. A substantial amount of gold ornaments, totaling twenty-five and a half tolas, were seized from the arrested individuals.
