The Pune Rural Police have apprehended the leader of a gang and his accomplice who were involved in ransacking houses in Jejuri, officials said on Sunday. Gold and silver ornaments, mobile phones, and a motorbike with a total value of ₹56,200 have been seized from them, they added.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rahul Hiraman Lashkre (22 years old, a resident of Kala Khadak, Wakad, Haveli) and Ajay Eknath Chavan (22 years old, a resident of Jambli Budruk, Bhor).
The house-breaking and theft incidents occurred during the day in the Jejuri-Saswad area of Purandar taluka. The criminals smashed locks to gain entry to closed houses in the afternoon. The local crime branch noted a striking similarity in their investigations of these burglary and theft cases. The timing, patterns, and modus operandi of the crimes were consistent in both Jejuri and Saswad.
Consequently, the police team reviewed CCTV footage and received information from informants pointing to Lashkre as the perpetrator. The tip-off mentioned that Lashkre, along with an accomplice, was coming to the Nasrapur Phata area on a red two-wheeler. The local crime branch set up a trap and apprehended Lashkre and Chavan. During the interrogation, Lashkre confessed that after visiting Jejuri for Khandoba's darshan, he broke into closed houses in the societies and committed burglaries.
