Pimpri-Chinchwad Crime Branch Nabs 2 POCSO Accused For Dealing Guns In Hinjawadi

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate's (PCPC) Crime Branch has nabbed three accused for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, officials announced on Thursday. The accused were found dealing guns in the Hinjawadi area. One of the accused has prior connections to gangs in Pune and was also accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) in 2012.

The action was taken by the Crime Branch Unit 2. They have arrested Pravin Gundeshwar Ankush (21, Katraj), Vicky Deepak Chavan (20, Hinjawadi), and Rohit Phulchand Bhalshankar (22, resident of Wadgaon Budruk).

As local body elections are approaching, police are under strict instructions from seniors regarding the prevention of illegal weapons existing in the city. As part of this, while Unit 2 was patrolling in the Hinjawadi area, Police Constable Amar Rane received a tip-off from his source that three notorious historysheeters were near Bodakewadi Phata on Maan Road near Hinjawadi.

DCP Dr Shivaji Pawar said, “A trap was laid, and three people were arrested by the unit. Four pistols and five live cartridges were seized from them.”

Police sources said that the accused, Rohit Bhalshankar, was accused under the POCSO Act in a case registered in Khadak Police Station under the Pune Police Commissionerate. Pravin Ankush was also accused under the POCSO Act in a case registered in Mumbai's Ghatkopar Police Station. Vicky Chavan has had links with Pune-based gangs since he was a minor. He was also detained in a similar case last year by the Hinjawadi Police Station.

The action was taken under the guidance of Pimpri-Chinchwad Commissioner of Police Vinoy Kumar Choubey, JCP Dr Shashikant Mahavarkar, Addl Sarang Awad, DCP Dr Shivaji Pawar, and ACP Dr Vishal Hire.

The crime branch unit 2 team was led by Sr PI Arvind Pawar and PSIs Mayuresh Salunkhe and Deepak Kharat, ASIs Sanjay Gaware, Pravind Dhale, and Nitin Dhoraje, and Police Constables Kunal Shinde, Tushar Shete, Mohammad Gaus Nadaf, Bhausaheb Rathod, Vikram Kudal, Baba Chavan, Ali Shaikh, Krushna Shitole, Prashant Syed, Sukhdev Gawande, Amar Rane, Dinkar Aade, Ravi Pawar, and Dhananjay Jadhav.