
Miscreants go on rampage in Pune's Dhankawadi, vandalise 25 vehicles, including school vans
The alleged vandalism occurred at three locations—Keshav Complex, Sarasvati Chowk, and Navnath Nagar—between 1 am and 1.30 am, according to the Sahakar Nagar police. Initial investigations suggest at least three suspects on bikes caused the damage, primarily shattering the glass windows with the weapons they were carrying, said a police officer, adding that they targeted locations within 500 metres of each other.
The police said the damaged vehicles included 15 auto rickshaws, three cars, two school vans, a tempo and some bikes. 'We have obtained the CCTV footage from the area and will soon nab the suspects,' said Vitthal Pawar, Senior Inspector of the Sahakar Nagar police station.
This incident is part of a concerning rise in vehicle vandalism in Pune, with the number of cases increasing from 35 in 2022 to 53 in 2023 and then to 89 in 2024. This had prompted the Crime Branch to conduct a thorough analysis of these cases based on data.
One of the first results of the study was identification of key hotspots for the cases of vehicle vandalism. The police found that of the 89 cases reported in 2024, the majority came from Sahakar Nagar, Parvati, Yerawada, Hadapsar, Kondhwa and Wanawadi police jurisdictions. Of the 156 accused identified in 89 cases of 2024, 52 were minors, accounting for a third of the total perpetrators, the police said.
The police also found that 95 per cent of these minors had no criminal records before the vehicle vandalism cases for which they were booked. Further, of all other adult accused, only 25 per cent had prior criminal records. The authorities initiated a series of policing and sensitisation efforts in these areas in response to the study's findings.
The police also intensified action against these miscreants under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers, Drug Offenders and Dangerous Persons Act, 1981, also known as the MPDA or Goonda Act.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Eknath Khadse's son-in-law arrested during drug party in Pune
Pune Police on Sunday arrested seven people, including Pranjal Khewalkar, son-in-law of senior NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse, after busting an alleged drug party at a studio apartment in an upmarket area of Kharadi. The raid was carried out around 3:40 am following a tip-off received by the Crime Branch. Blood samples of all seven accused have been sent for forensic analysis to determine whether they had consumed narcotics. (HT) According to police, the raid led to the seizure of 2.70 grams of a cocaine substance, 70 grams of ganja, 10 mobile phones, two cars, hookah sets, liquor bottles, and various party paraphernalia—all worth approximately ₹41.35 lakh, police said. Blood samples of all seven accused have been sent for forensic analysis to determine whether they had consumed narcotics. The accused include Khewalkar, a 41-year-old MD in medicine, and husband of NCP (SP) state unit chief of women wing, resident of Hadapsar; along with Nikhil Popatani, 35, involved in the cigarette business; Sameer Sayyad, 41, who works in hardware materials business; Sachin Bhombe, 42, a private employee; Shripad Yadav, 27, a contractor; and two young women identified as Isha Singh, 22, from Aundh, and Prachi Sharma, 23, from Mahalunge. Police said the arrested individuals knew each other and had been in contact through calls and messages. Preliminary findings suggest the group had attended a party at a well-known pub in the city before assembling at the rented studio apartment. Investigators confirmed that three rooms had been booked in the building from July 25 to July 28, each costing ₹10,357 per night. Around 45 minutes before the raid, all seven had gathered in the flat. Following the arrests, police searched Khewalkar's bungalow in Hadapsar, Sai Krupa, and seized laptops, CDs, and other items. Crime Branch officials revealed that Popatani and Yadav have criminal records. Popatani was booked in 2023 by Kondhwa police under IPC sections 420 and 34, and sections 66(c) and 66(d) of the IT Act, reportedly for online betting. Yadav was booked in 2022 by the Bund Garden police under the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act. A Crime Branch officer said an earlier attempt to detain the group on Friday had failed. However, based on fresh information, they moved in on Saturday night and arrested the seven with drug-like substances. 'The police have registered a case under sections 8(c), 21(b), 22(b)(ii)(a), and 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and sections 7(2) and 20(2) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), at the Kharadi police station,' said deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Nikhil Pingale. Police said they are now trying to identify three more people reportedly seen at the apartment during the party,' said NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse, reacting to the arrest of his son-in-law, said he had not spoken to him and was aware of the incident only through media reports. 'If a fair investigation reveals it was a rave party and my son-in-law is guilty, I will not defend him. But the police must act impartially. The perception among people is that police can do anything, so let the truth come out through forensic and blood reports,' Khadse said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had seen media reports but had not yet received an official briefing. 'Preliminary information suggests that a rave party was busted and some narcotics were found,' he said. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the police were acting as per rules and anyone found guilty would face consequences. MP Supriya Sule also reacted to the case, saying her party stood behind Rohini Khadse, wife of the arrested Khewalkar. Sule expressed concern over the possibility of tampering with reports, especially in light of past incidents at Sassoon Hospital. 'We will ensure a full investigation takes place, but my concern remains with how evidence is handled,' she said. Officials said the investigation is ongoing, with police verifying the identities of others who may have attended the party and reviewing communications.


Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Drugs seized after raid at a rave party in Pune; 7 persons detained
Pune: Police seized drugs, hookah set ups and liquor after conducting a raid at a party underway at an apartment in Pune in the early hours of Sunday and detained seven persons, officials said. The police's Crime Branch carried out the raid at the studio apartment located in the upscale Kharadi area of Maharashtra's Pune city based on a tip-off about a rave party , an official said. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Technology Design Thinking Management Digital Marketing Data Science Data Science Project Management Healthcare Product Management PGDM Data Analytics Cybersecurity Operations Management Public Policy Finance Others healthcare Artificial Intelligence Degree Leadership MCA others CXO MBA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details During the operation, narcotic substances such as ganja, liquor and hookah were seized, he said. "We had received information about a rave party being held at an apartment in the Kharadi area. Accordingly, the raid was conducted by our Crime Branch team," a senior police official said. "During the raid, narcotic substances like ganja, liquor, and hookah were found. We have detained seven persons -- five men and two women," he said. Live Events One of the men detained is the husband of a woman politician, the official said. "All individuals have been taken into custody, and the process of registering a case is underway," he said.


Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Delhi Police arrest man convicted of killing his daughters after four years on the run
A 70-year-old man convicted in the 1999 murders of his two minor daughters and the attempted murder of a third was arrested on Friday after evading custody for four years, the Delhi Police said. The man, identified by police as Hamidullah Bundu Khan, a former resident of Old Mustafabad in northeast Delhi, was located and arrested by the Crime Branch at his residence in Loni, Ghaziabad. Authorities said he had been granted parole while serving a 20-year sentence and subsequently absconded. 'After sustained intelligence gathering, the team successfully apprehended the convict, despite his repeated attempts to evade capture by frequently changing his hideouts,' said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam. He added that the arrest was made possible through a combination of technical surveillance, human intelligence, and specific leads. According to police, the case dates back to July 30, 1999, when Khan's eldest daughter reported to the Gokulpuri police station that her father had attempted to poison her and her two younger sisters the previous night. She told officers that Khan had returned home around 10.30 pm on July 29 and given each of his daughters a capsule, claiming it would help with a stomach ailment. The capsules, she described, were blue on the outside and white on the inside. The eldest daughter told police that when she questioned her father, saying she alone had stomach pain, he insisted all three girls take the medicine. Suspecting something was wrong, she pretended to ingest the capsule but hid it under her tongue. She told police she then saw her father forcibly administer the capsules to her younger sisters. The two younger children collapsed shortly after, displaying poisoning symptoms, including labored breathing and frothing at the mouth, according to the police report. The eldest daughter said she ran to alert neighbours, but by the time they returned to the house, Khan had fled. All three children were taken to a hospital, where the two younger girls were pronounced dead. The eldest daughter also exhibited symptoms but survived. Khan was arrested the following day, July 31, 1999, and later convicted under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Indian Penal Code. He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. Police said that after being released on parole four years ago, Khan failed to return and remained untraceable, avoiding known contacts and frequently changing his location.