Gang of thieves busted, 48 cases registered against accused in Pune

PUNE: The crime branch of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police has busted a gang of thieves who ran an illegal hooch operation and stole ornaments and other valuables from houses and shops under lock and key to indulge their expensive tastes

PUNE: The crime branch of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police has busted a gang of thieves who ran an illegal hooch operation and stole ornaments and other valuables from houses and shops under lock and key to indulge their expensive tastes. The arrest has brought to light 48 cases registered against these men in the Pune district alone, according to Krishna Prakash, commissioner of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police.

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Of the accused, Sahil Ramesh Nanavat alias Allu Arjun, 25; and Devdas alias Das Ramesh Nanavat, 23 were arrested while in hiding at a relative’s place in Daund on September 13. Upon interrogation, the duo revealed the identities of the other accused namely, Surdev Nanavat, Ajay Sarja Nanavat, Dhyan Kesariya Rajput and Ram Biravat. Asked to whom they were selling the stolen gold ornaments, the men identified a jeweller named Yogesh Noor Singh, 34, from the Paud area, who was then made an accused in the case.

A team of unit 4 of the crime branch with senior police inspector Prasad Gokule and assistant police inspector Ambrish Deshmukh made the arrest. Two-hundred-and-twenty gram of gold ornaments, two motorcycles, a gas cylinder, a home theatre system, a cooler, batteries, mobile phones and other valuables collectively worth over Rs1,830,000 were recovered. The men used to steal cash and valuables from homes and grocery shops, sell the valuables and use the money to buy expensive clothes and sports bikes. They also had an illegal hooch-making operation in Paud and Mawal, according to the police.

Among the accused, Surdev Nanavat has one case of murder and 53 cases of housebreaking and theft registered against him, while Ajay Sarja Nanavat and Ram Biravat have seven cases each of housebreaking and theft registered against them. Dhyan Kesariya Rajput and Sahil Ramesh Nanavat have four cases each of housebreaking and theft registered against them, while Devdas Nanavat has three cases of housebreaking and theft registered against him.

Of the total 48 cases registered against the men, 13 are registered in Hinjewadi; 12 in Talegaon Dabhade; seven in Paud; six in Vadgaon Maval; three each in Sangvi, Kamshet and Ghodegaon; and one at Wakad police station. The men would first recce the area they planned to hit for locked homes and shops and return in the night with metal cutters. The police found CCTV footage of the men in an area of Pimpri-Chinchwad where three of them first scouted the area and then made way for the others to enter a society to commit the housebreaking and theft.