‘Your Car Hit Someone!’ – How a Tak-Tak Gang Used This Trick to Steal Mobiles in Pune
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 13th March 2026: In a major breakthrough, the Pune City Police Crime Branch (Unit-1) has successfully dismantled an interstate “Tak-Tak” gang notorious for stealing mobile phones and valuables from four-wheeled vehicles. The gang operated by distracting drivers with false claims of accidents or vehicle damage.
Following orders from senior officials to track down unidentified accused in a theft case registered at Faraskhana Police Station (FIR No. 31/2026), Unit-1 personnel were scanning CCTV footage and activated their local network.
Acting on a tip-off received by police personnel Mayur Bhosale, Amit Jamdade, and Hemant Perne, the team learned that the suspects were staying at a lodge within the Samarth Police Station jurisdiction. A trap was laid under the guidance of Police Inspector Ajit Jadhav, leading to the apprehension of two individuals.
The arrested suspects have been identified as:
Ravi Omprakash Kohli (38), resident of Meerut City, Uttar Pradesh.
Afzal Kayyum Abbasi (38), resident of Meerut City, Uttar Pradesh.
During interrogation, the duo confessed to multiple crimes across Pune using the “Tak-Tak” method—a tactic where gang members knock on car windows or distract drivers by claiming they hit someone or that oil is leaking, while an accomplice steals valuables from the passenger seat.
The police have successfully linked the suspects to the following cases:
Alankar Police Station (Feb 11, 2026): Near Saraswat Bank on Karve Road, the gang distracted a driver and stole an iPhone 17 Pro and a white wallet from the front seat. (FIR No. 27/2026).
Vimantal (Airport) Police Station (Aug 19, 2025): At Viman Nagar Chowk, they tricked a Swift car driver by claiming the car ran over someone’s foot, subsequently stealing a Samsung and a OnePlus mobile phone. (FIR No. 413/2025).
The accused have been handed over to the Faraskhana Police for further legal proceedings.
The operation was conducted under the guidance of Additional Police Commissioner (Crime) Pankaj Deshmukh, DCP (Crime) Nikhil Pingle and ACP (Crime-1) Shailesh Sankhe.
The team included Police Inspector Ajit Jadhav and police personnel Mayur Bhosale, Amit Jamdade, Hemant Perne, Aniket Babar, Nilesh Sabale, Shashikant Darekar, Sandesh Kakade, Jyoti Mulka and Prafull Shelar.
The Pune Police have urged citizens to remain vigilant and not roll down windows or leave vehicles unattended if approached by strangers making suspicious claims on the road.
