24-06-2025
Pune police busts gangs that stole cell phones, gold ornaments during Palkhi processions
In a coordinated action conducted by the Crime Branch of the Pune City Police during the passage of Palkhi processions in Pune, two separate gangs stealing cell phones and gold ornaments from the Warkarkis — devotees participating in the Wari — were busted, resulting in the arrest six persons including four women and the detention of a minor. Over 220 grams of gold ornaments and 14 cell phones which were stolen or snatched from the Warkaris were recovered after the action, officials said.
Officials said that a number of thefts and robberies had been taking place during Palkhi processions over the years. To prevent these crimes and to catch the perpetrator behind them, the Crime Branch has assigned dedicated teams for select zones in the Pune City jurisdiction. Teams from Zone 5 and 6 received specific inputs about some suspects committing these crimes. Based on the first set of inputs, police arrested five members of an inter-district gang including four women.
The suspects have been identified as Chandani Shakti Kamble (32), Rita Namdeo Damble (35), Babita Suraj Upadhye (57), Pooja Dhiraj Kamble (35) all residents of Udgir in Latur district and their male accomplice Ganesh Vilas jadhav (30), a resident of Akkalkot in Solapur district. In their searches, the police have recovered over 220 grams of gold ornaments.
Working out a separate set of inputs, another team of the Crime Branch found out that two suspects were involved in multiple thefts and snatchings of the cell phones from the Warkaris. They arrested Arbaz Naushad Shaikh (19), a native of Sahibganj in Jharkhand and detained his 17-year-old accomplice. Police recovered from their possession as many as 14 stolen cell phones.
Senior officials of the Crime Branch have appealed to warkaris and devotees who have lost their cell phones and gold ornaments during the palkhi processions to report the theft to local police stations.
