Pune: Notorious Burglars Behind Chitale Bandhu And Kaka Halwai Theft Arrested After Police Scan 225 CCTV Footages

Pune: The Baner Police arrested two habitual offenders involved in a burglary at the Chitale Bandhu and Kaka Halwai outlets located in Fortune House, Baner. The accused were tracked down after police scrutinised footage from more than 225 CCTV cameras across various parts of Pune, including Shivajinagar, Ghorpadi, Hadapsar, Ramtekdi, Alandi, Narhe, and Ambegaon.

The accused have been identified as Shivam Dutta Avchar (19), a resident of Kamathe Colony near Abhinav College, Narhe, and Karan Shivaji Jamadar (19), a resident near Paramol Café, close to Sinhgad College, Vadgaon.

According to police, the burglary took place in the early hours of March 16 at around 4:30 am. The accused allegedly forced open the shutters of the Chitale Bandhu and Kaka Halwai stores at Fortune House and entered the premises. They stole gold and silver ornaments along with cash worth approximately ₹66,000 that had been kept inside a locker.

Following the incident, officers and personnel from the Baner Police Station investigation team launched an extensive probe. Using CCTV footage obtained from the crime scene as the starting point, police painstakingly tracked the movements of the suspects through more than 225 CCTV cameras spread across multiple localities in Pune.

Chandra Sekhar Sawant, Senior Police Inspector of Baner Police Station, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said both accused are history-sheeters with serious criminal records, including cases of murder, attempt to murder, and theft. Police said the duo frequently changed their residences to avoid detection, making their arrest particularly challenging.

Despite these hurdles, investigators used technical surveillance and field intelligence to locate and apprehend the accused. During interrogation, the duo confessed to committing the burglary with the assistance of a juvenile accomplice.

Police have recovered stolen property and other items connected to the crime, including two motorcycles used in the offence, an iPhone, a crowbar-like burglary tool (palghan), ₹12,000 in cash, and a gold seal.

The investigation is being carried out by Assistant Police Inspector Ganesh Raikar under the supervision of senior officers of Baner Police Station.

The successful detection of the case has been praised as an example of meticulous CCTV analysis and coordinated police work, leading to the arrest of the accused despite their attempts to evade law enforcement.