Pune police arrest five women, detain juvenile in Market Yard robbery case

On Saturday, a team from the Market Yard police station conducted a raid in Mohidipur, a village in Jalgaon Jamod taluka of Buldhana district, and arrested all the accused

Pune city police have busted a women’s robbery gang involved in breaking into a bungalow in the Market Yard area, officials said on Monday. Five women and a 17-year-old girl from Mohidipur in Buldhana district have been arrested in connection with the case.

Police said the gang targeted the closed bungalow of a businessman and stole household items along with gold and silver jewellery. (HT)

On Saturday, a team from the Market Yard police station conducted a raid in Mohidipur, a village in Jalgaon Jamod taluka of Buldhana district, and arrested all the accused. They have been identified as Aaiena Solankhe (26), Meena Solankhe (25), Sunita Solankhe (30), Batti Shinde (25), Pooja Solankhe (25), and a juvenile aged 17.

The burglary was reported on November 7, 2025, at Lane No. 5 in Ruturaj Society, Market Yard. Police said the gang targeted the closed bungalow of a businessman and stole household items along with gold and silver jewellery.

CCTV footage showing a group of women leaving the scene went viral, helping police narrow down their search. After analysing multiple CCTV clips and conducting technical investigations, police traced the gang to Mohidipur. With assistance from the Buldhana police, a raid was carried out early Saturday morning, and the suspects were brought to Pune on Sunday.

Manisha Patil, senior police inspector of the Market Yard police station, said, “The accused operated as a gang and frequently visited Pune. They were primarily engaged in garbage and scrap collection work, and during this, they kept watch on closed bungalows and targeted them accordingly.” Police have invoked relevant robbery sections following the arrests.

Investigators are also examining whether the gang was involved in other similar offences in Pune.

According to police, Mohidipur is a village where several residents are suspected of being engaged in similar illegal activities. Due to past incidents of retaliation, Pune police sought assistance from local police and the village police patil during the operation.

Police said the accused would hide stolen valuables for several weeks and, once alerted about possible police action, would sell them to local jewellers at significantly reduced rates. Further investigation is underway to identify additional suspects and recover the remaining stolen property.