Pune City police has claimed to have busted a gang of burglars that targeted mobile phone shops and has recovered goods, including 97 stolen cell phones, worth Rs 22 lakh, from its possession. Police have arrested three persons, identified as Sahil Anil More (20) of Shivane, Sanket Prakash Nivgune (22) of Warje Malwadi and Lakshman Anna Jadhav (34) of Kothrud, in the case.
According to a press release issued on Monday, as many as 109 cell phones were stolen from the New Sai Mobile Shop located at Uruli Devachi on October 23. Shop owner Swapnil Parmale lodged the FIR in the case at the Hadapsar police station.
During the investigation, a police team headed by senior police inspector Arvind Gokule got a clue about the burglars from the videos captured by CCTV cameras at the shop and other locations.
Acting on a tip-off to policemen Shahid Shaikh and Atul Pandharkar, a team nabbed More from Dukkar Khind area last week. Further investigation led to the arrest of the second accused, Nivgune.
Probe revealed that Jadhav, the main accused in this case, was hiding in Chapra district in Bihar. Detection branch sleuths led by police sub inspector Avinash Shinde of Hadapsar police station went to Bihar and arrested Jadhav. Cops produced him before a local court in Bihar from where they obtained his transit remand and brought him to Pune on Sunday.
Deputy commissioner of police (zone 5) Namrata Patil said that Jadhav had gone to Bihar with the stolen cell phones. Besides the 97 cell phones, the police have also seized a car and a two-wheeler from the accused persons. Police said Jadhav had been named as accused in 14 crime cases in the past. Police said initial probe has revealed that the arrested gang members were involved in burglaries at five cell phone shops at different locations across the city.
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