Shirwal Police have busted a gang involved in the theft of 183 pigs in Khandala taluka's Palashi village, officials said on Wednesday. A total of eight accused have been arrested so far, and items worth ₹17 lakh have been seized from them, they added.
According to the police, on January 3, between 1am and 4am, unidentified thieves stole 183 pigs from the shed of complainant Dattatray Mane in Palashi village. The pigs were loaded into three pickup vans and driven away. During the theft, the thieves assaulted the guards who were on duty.
Mane filed a complaint at Shirwal Police Station. Following this, the police accelerated the investigation. Within a few days, four accused—Prakash Ashok Jadhav, Mayur Ashok Jadhav, Sonya alias Vikas Sanjay Pawar and Sachin alias Bala Tukaram Jadhav—were arrested on January 7.
During the investigation, additional names were uncovered. On March 19 and 21, four more accused—Sunil Vasant Jadhav, Pandurang Shivaji Shinde, Kiranpaan Singh Shitalsingh Dudhani and Omkar Santosh Jadhav—were also arrested.
Police have seized the three pickup trucks used in the crime from Pune district, worth about ₹17 lakh.
The investigation has revealed that the accused had intended to sell the stolen pigs elsewhere. A further inquiry is underway to gather more details regarding the sale.
