Notorious criminal arrested; police claim to solve 13 cases

The accused has been identified as Harshad Gulab Pawar (31), a resident of Ghotawade Phata Mulshi in Pune district

Pune police arrested a notorious criminal from Shivajinagar, who was involved in 64 house break-in cases reported in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Police said the accused is an eight standard dropout and was working as a machine operator in a private firm before being involved in criminal activities in 2014. (HT PHOTO)

The accused has been identified as Harshad Gulab Pawar (31), a resident of Ghotawade Phata Mulshi in Pune district. Police said the accused is an eight standard dropout and was working as a machine operator in a private firm before being involved in criminal activities in 2014. Police claimed to have solved 13 house break-ins and burglary cases.

The arrest was made on February 4 when police amaldar Sachin Jadhav got information about his presence around Mhasoba Gate bus stop.

After Pawar was caught, police recovered gold and silver ornaments and house break-in equipment from his bag. During his interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in many house break-ins and burglary cases. He also confessed that he did reiki and later executed house break-in cases in Shivajinagar, Khadak, Vimantal, Chandannagar, Warje-Malwadi, Bavdhan and Alandi areas. Police claimed to solve 13 house breaks in and burglary cases reported in these areas.

Chandrashekhar Sawant, senior police inspector at Shivajinagar police station said in 2023, the accused was released on bail. Elaborating on his modus operandi Sawant said, “In order to avoid CCTV cameras, before and after the burglary he used to travel almost 40-50 km by walking from small -small lanes. He used to wear and change hats, jackets, and clothes to mislead the police.’’

Police investigation revealed that the accused took the help of Nilkanth Raut to sell stolen jewellery. Police officials said they have recovered 236.53 grams of gold jewellery, 212 grams of silver jewellery, screwdrivers and other material used in the burglary and 49 keys of the different types of locks, in total valued at ₹17.07 lakh.

Authorities believe the suspect had been active for a considerable period, targeting residential areas primarily during the night. He would carefully observe the daily routines of residents, waiting for the most opportune moment to break into homes. His primary targets were households with visible signs of wealth, where he could steal jewellery and other valuables.

The police have confirmed that he likely operated alone, although investigations are still ongoing to ascertain if he had any accomplices or if he was part of a larger gang involved in similar crimes.