The Pune police crime branch seized eleven pistols and seventeen live cartridges and arrested four men on Saturday. The seizures were done during a roundup ahead of assembly polls on Monday. The four men were arrested in different incidents.
The arrested men have been identified as Pradip Gaikwad (22), a resident of Ahmednagar; Sadik Javed Shaikh (29), a resident of Mithanagar, Kondhwa; Manoj Dhotre and Mohsin alias Moba Shaikh, both residents of Yerawada.
Gaikwad was found by unit 2 of crime branch near Navale bridge in Katraj. Police naik Yashwant Khandare of unit 2 had received information that a person was coming to sell weapons near a granite store and set a trap accordingly.
A case under Sections 3(25) and 5(25) of Arms Act was registered against Gaikwad at the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station.
Shaikh, who has a history of criminal cases, landed on police radar during police patrolling by unit-3 of crime branch. He was found with a pistol and three cartridges at Girija chowk in Erandwane.
A case under Section 3(25) of Arms Act and Sections 37(1) along with 135 of Maharashtra Police Act was registered at Alankar police station.
{{/usCountry}}A case under Section 3(25) of Arms Act and Sections 37(1) along with 135 of Maharashtra Police Act was registered at Alankar police station.
{{/usCountry}}Unit 2 officials also arrested Dhotre, Mohsin, with five pistols and nine live cartridges.
In the run-up to the election, the Pune police have so far seized 49 weapons and received a deposit of 420 licensed weapons.