Pune: Faraskhana police have busted an interstate gang from Uttar Pradesh allegedly involved in stealing gold chains and mangalsutras from devotees during Ganeshotsav. Police have arrested one suspect and recovered 139.720 grams of gold ornaments, a mobile phone, a knife and an iron cutter, collectively valued at ₹21.21 lakh. The action has helped police solve 13 cases of chain and mangalsutra theft.
The case came to light after an incident on Sept 25, when complainant Sagar Prakash Komti and his friend Vikrant Shinde were watching the Ganesh immersion procession near Belbag Chowk on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road, close to Budhwar Chowk, around 10.45 pm.
According to police, six unidentified men allegedly targeted Komti amid the crowd. While one of them stole a blue Samsung mobile phone from his trouser pocket, the other five allegedly restrained and assaulted him before threatening him with a knife. The suspects then allegedly used an iron cutter to snatch a gold chain weighing 38.320 grams from his neck and fled with the valuables.
The stolen property, including the gold chain and mobile phone, was collectively valued at ₹1.46 lakh. Police subsequently registered a case at Faraskhana Police Station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone I) Krushikesh Rawale directed the Faraskhana investigation team to trace the suspects involved in targeting devotees during the immersion procession.
Acting on confidential information received by Police Head Constable Gajanan Sonune and Police Constable Chetan Holkar, police identified the suspected gang as a group of six men from Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh.
Police subsequently detained Vijaypal Kawar Sain (34), a resident of Islampur Ghasoli village in Shamli district. During questioning, he allegedly confessed to committing the offence along with five accomplices and being involved in other similar crimes.
A team comprising Assistant Police Inspector Anil Survase and police personnel Nitin Telange, Irfan Momin, Amol Awad, Gajanan Sonune and Chetan Holkar travelled to Uttar Pradesh as part of the investigation.
Police recovered gold ornaments weighing 139.720 grams, the complainant's stolen mobile phone, a knife and an iron cutter from the suspect. The total value of the seized property was estimated at ₹21,21,100.
With this recovery, Faraskhana police have solved the original case and 12 other cases involving chain and mangalsutra theft.
Assistant Police Inspector Anil Survase is conducting further investigations under the guidance of Faraskhana Police Station in-charge Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Deshmane.
