Pune Rural Police Nab Inter-District Dacoit Gang; ₹25 Lakh Loot Recovered

In a major crackdown on organised crime, the Pune Rural Police have arrested members of an inter-district dacoit gang responsible for a series of armed robberies, highway robberies and house break-ins across Pune Rural and Ahilyanagar districts, officials said on Thursday.

The operation, led by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Daund Police, resulted in the detection of 20 serious offences and the recovery of stolen property worth approximately ₹25 lakh.

According to the police, the breakthrough came after a string of violent robberies reported over the past six months in the Daund, Baramati and Junnar divisions. The gang allegedly followed a similar modus operandi in each case, targeting isolated houses and travellers during late-night hours. Victims were reportedly assaulted and threatened with deadly weapons before being robbed of cash, jewellery, mobile phones and other valuables.

The case gained urgency after an alarming series of incidents on the night of June 10, when armed robbers struck at five locations in a single night. Four robberies were reported within the jurisdiction of Daund Police Station, while another occurred in Shrigonda.

At Babirnagar, Awadevasti, Awalewasti and Khorwadi villages, six to seven armed men allegedly assaulted residents, threatened them with weapons and looted valuables worth more than ₹7.10 lakh.

Taking serious note of the incidents, Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill formed six special investigation teams comprising officers from the Local Crime Branch and various police stations. Investigators examined crime patterns, analysed the timing and methods used in previous robberies, questioned witnesses and informants, and reviewed CCTV footage from locations within a 50-kilometre radius of the crime scenes.

Technical analysis of CCTV footage and intelligence inputs revealed that the suspects had travelled from Ahilyanagar district to commit the crimes before returning to their native areas. Based on the evidence, police identified the gang members and launched coordinated raids on June 13.

Simultaneous operations were carried out at Babhulgaon Khalsa in Karjat taluka of Ahilyanagar district and Chikhli village in Beed district.

During the raids, police arrested Ganesh Mangesh Kale (22), a resident of Kuldharan in Karjat, Vishal Hambardya Kale (21), a resident of Chikhli in Ashti taluka of Beed, and Kishor Ravan Bhosale (19), a resident of Babhulgaon Khalsa. A juvenile accomplice was also taken into custody.

Gill said the accused are habitual offenders with criminal records involving dacoity, robbery and theft. The gang members frequently changed locations and often hid in agricultural fields, open grazing lands and brick kilns while disguising themselves to avoid arrest.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to multiple offences committed across the Pune Rural district. The investigation led to the detection of 12 cases in Pune Rural, including four dacoities, six robbery cases and five house break-ins. Further questioning revealed the gang's involvement in eight additional offences in Ahilyanagar district, comprising three dacoities, three robberies and two burglary cases.

Police have recovered around 17 tolas of gold jewellery, 324 grams of silver ornaments and other stolen property collectively valued at approximately ₹25 lakh. The accused have been remanded to police custody, while efforts are underway to trace additional gang members, including absconding accused Pravin alias Pappu Lala Bhosale, against whom several serious cases are already registered.

Further investigation is in progress to identify additional victims and recover more stolen property linked to the gang's activities.