PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad police have arrested three persons of a four-member gang and recovered stolen valuables worth ₹77.4 lakh. The fourth member, identified as Krushna Jadhav of Walhekarwadi, Chinchwad, is on the run, said Krishna Prakash, commissioner of Pimpri-Chinchwad police at a press meet on Monday.
The arrested are Lakhan Ashok Jetithor (32) of Walhekarwadi and native of Solapur, Ravi Shivaji Bhosale (42) of Nakhati vasti in Rahatani and a mechanic by profession, and Suresh Narayan Jadhav (42) of Kalewadi in Rahatani, and a native of Satara. Jetithor had sold the stolen valuables to Bhosale and Jadhav, according to the police.
Jetithor has nine cases registered against him in Solapur between 2009 and 2012. He was found to have been running a Chinese cuisine restaurant near gurudwara in Chinchwad. The Pimpri-Chinchwad police forwarded his details to Solapur counterpart to confirm his identity.
“The main accused would recce places with dense population twice a day – in the morning and evening – to ensure that the house was locked. He would return around 2 am, break into the house and steal valuables,“ read a statement from the police.
To mislead the police, the man had rented three houses in the same area. Before leaving the house, he would put his phone on flight mode to avoid tracking. After the theft, he would take the loot to his friend and co-accused, Krushna, who lived nearby to avoid CCTV camera trail.
{{/usCountry}}To mislead the police, the man had rented three houses in the same area. Before leaving the house, he would put his phone on flight mode to avoid tracking. After the theft, he would take the loot to his friend and co-accused, Krushna, who lived nearby to avoid CCTV camera trail.
{{/usCountry}}The police have recovered over 780 grammes of stolen gold, 10 television sets, one Toyota Fortuner registered in Chinchwad from the four men. The total worth of the recovered goods was found to be 77,47,200, according to the police.
“Due to the Covid lockdown, the two accused had kept the valuables with them. Jetithor was planning to buy a house with the money he earned after selling the goods to the other accused. Suresh used to sell the gold at a jewellery shop owned by one of his female relatives,” read a statement by senior inspector Vishwajeet Grey of Chinchwad police station.
Of the 30 cases registered against the group since 2020, 26 were registered in Chinchwad, three in Bhosari and one in Checkley police station. These cases are in addition to the nine cases registered against the main accused.