Pune police arrest 11 for phone theft during Ganesh immersion, 63 phones recovered

Pune police arrested 11 people for allegedly stealing mobile phones from devotees during the Ganesh immersion procession and recovered 63 phones.

The Shivajinagar police have arrested 11 people for allegedly stealing mobile phones from devotees during the city’s Ganesh immersion procession and recovered 63 phones and other property worth ₹30.57 lakh, officers said on Saturday.

Eleven people were arrested for allegedly stealing phones during Pune’s Ganesh immersion procession

According to police, the thefts took place between midnight on September 25 and 6.30am on September 26, when large crowds had gathered in central Pune to watch the immersion procession. Heavy crowds were reported along Jangli Maharaj Road, Fergusson College Road, Jhansi Rani Chowk, the Pune Municipal Corporation premises and Laxmi Road.

Police recovered a car, two knives, a cutter and chilli powder apart from 63 mobile phones. The total value of the seized property has been estimated at ₹30.57 lakh.

Police said they received information that a group of seven to eight people carrying weapons had gathered near the Mutha riverbed and were allegedly preparing to target devotees.

Acting on the information, a police team apprehended the suspects around 5.15am on September 26. During their interrogation and a subsequent search, police recovered 63 mobile phones and other articles from their possession.