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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Professor of engg college in Pune's Wagholi, 3 students arrested for circulating answer sheets to students for cheating after exam
Pune: A professor and three second-year students of an engineering college in Wagholi were arrested early on Tuesday by crime branch officials of the Pune police for circulating answer sheets after the exam on Monday to first-year students for cheating in exchange for money. Additional commissioner of police (crime) Pankaj Deshmukh told TOI that assistant inspector Madan Kamble received information about the professor giving out the answer sheets illegally to the students late in the night on the college premises so that they could rewrite the answers to some sections of the question paper and put the sheets back in the strongroom after finishing. Deshmukh said, "The first-year students appeared for their engineering mathematics examination on Monday. It was a tough paper for some. They were told to leave blank spaces on the answer sheets for the questions they did not attempt and fill them up later in the night with the right answers." Senior inspector Yuvraj Hande of the Wagholi police said, "We have arrested the professor, Pratik Satav (37), of Wagholi, and the three students. We are questioning them." The examinations are conducted by Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). Colleges away from the core city limits have to safely keep the answer sheets overnight and deliver them for checking to the university the next day. Deshmukh added that the professor took Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000 from each student to give them the answer sheets so that they could score well in the examination. The second-year students, who have been arrested, took the first-year students to the professor, the police officer said. He added that the professor was the exam officer in the college, but was recently relieved of the post. He now teaches mechanical engineering to the students in the same college. Deshmukh said, "Satav prepared a duplicate key to the strong room where the answer sheets are kept. He colluded with the second-year students to earn quick money. He gave them the duplicate key and they pulled out eight answer sheets and circulated them to the students who had left blank spaces to fill up." The students were caught writing the answers. The professor was not present in the room. He was arrested after the police questioned the students and their replies led to him. The police team also seized six bundles of answer sheets and Rs 2 lakh in cash. "The money was given by the first-year students to their seniors in the second year," Deshmukh said. Prabhakar Desai, acting director of the examination and evaluation board of SPPU, in a statement on Tuesday said, "The board is committed to systematic examination planning, evaluation, and result processing. It is fully aware that every action in this regard must be lawful, honest, sensitive, and governed by rules and ethics. Efforts are being made to instil sensitivity regarding this in all components associated with examination planning, evaluation, and the result process. " The statement added, "However, the act committed on Tuesday by the faculty member of the college located at Wagholi is highly unethical and a violation of the university's examination planning regulations. SPPU has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the matter and has instructed the committee to submit its report within just seven days. The board will take strict action against the concerned individuals as per the university's law. "
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Drone, aerial activity banned across Pune amid heightened security concerns
1 2 3 Pune: Authorities have enforced a temporary ban on drones and other aerial devices across Pune city and its rural areas in response to growing security concerns following the Indian Army's Operation Sindoor . Joint commissioner of police Ranjan Sharma issued a prohibitory order on Wednesday, banning the operation of drones, paragliders and similar aerial equipment within Pune city limits for 30 days, till June 12. Exceptions would only be made for aerial surveillance operations conducted by the police department, which would require prior written permission. The ban, which falls under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code, is designed to prevent any potential threats posed by aerial devices, especially from anti-national elements who may target religious sites, tourist locations and VVIPs. The Pune district administration already imposed a similar ban in rural areas from March 17 to May 20. Officials said the order is likely to be extended for two months. "We are not granting any permissions currently and plan to extend the order after May 20," an official from the Pune collectorate said. The district issued the order in March and also raised concerns over night-time drone activities, particularly in Daund, Baramati and Shirur talukas, where authorities received multiple complaints from residents. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Lost Their Money - Learn From Their Lesson Expertinspector Click Here Undo The earlier directive also highlighted that drones have been used by terrorist organisations for surveillance of religious sites, dams and critical institutions. The Pune district collector's office had made prior police approval mandatory for any drone activity related to event management or commercial purposes. Without proper clearance, such activities would be considered illegal. In addition to security concerns, the authorities noted that sand smugglers also use drones to monitor law enforcement activities. "This step is necessary from a security standpoint, as several central institutions and sensitive locations are situated across different parts of the district," said a senior district official. Within Pune city limits, drone operations fall under the jurisdiction of the city commissionerate, with the special branch serving as the nodal agency for approvals. In rural areas, the Pune rural police are responsible for permissions. Pune SP Pankaj Deshmukh said that the city order would be applicable to rural areas too. "The orders will be issued," he said. To tackle the rising problem of unauthorised night-time drone flights, the Pune rural police recently procured anti-drone technology and formed a special task force under the SP. Officers in this task force underwent training in drone monitoring and control. Incidents of unauthorised drone activity have in the past raised an alarm. For instance, in Sept 2023, three tourists from Hyderabad were booked by the Lonavala police for flying a drone near the restricted Air Force Station zone. Similarly, in 2021, a youth was booked for flying a drone near INS Shivaji, a sensitive military area in Lonavala. Pune: Authorities have enforced a temporary ban on drones and other aerial devices across Pune city and its rural areas in response to growing security concerns following the Indian Army's Operation Sindoor. Joint commissioner of police Ranjan Sharma issued a prohibitory order on Wednesday, banning the operation of drones, paragliders and similar aerial equipment within Pune city limits for 30 days, till June 12. Exceptions would only be made for aerial surveillance operations conducted by the police department, which would require prior written permission. The ban, which falls under Section 163 of the Indian Civil Security Code, is designed to prevent any potential threats posed by aerial devices, especially from anti-national elements who may target religious sites, tourist locations and VVIPs. The Pune district administration already imposed a similar ban in rural areas from March 17 to May 20. Officials said the order is likely to be extended for two months. "We are not granting any permissions currently and plan to extend the order after May 20," an official from the Pune collectorate said. The district issued the order in March and also raised concerns over night-time drone activities, particularly in Daund, Baramati and Shirur talukas, where authorities received multiple complaints from residents. The earlier directive also highlighted that drones have been used by terrorist organisations for surveillance of religious sites, dams and critical institutions. The Pune district collector's office had made prior police approval mandatory for any drone activity related to event management or commercial purposes. Without proper clearance, such activities would be considered illegal. In addition to security concerns, the authorities noted that sand smugglers also use drones to monitor law enforcement activities. "This step is necessary from a security standpoint, as several central institutions and sensitive locations are situated across different parts of the district," said a senior district official. Within Pune city limits, drone operations fall under the jurisdiction of the city commissionerate, with the special branch serving as the nodal agency for approvals. In rural areas, the Pune rural police are responsible for permissions. Pune SP Pankaj Deshmukh said that the city order would be applicable to rural areas too. "The orders will be issued," he said. To tackle the rising problem of unauthorised night-time drone flights, the Pune rural police recently procured anti-drone technology and formed a special task force under the SP. Officers in this task force underwent training in drone monitoring and control. Incidents of unauthorised drone activity have in the past raised an alarm. For instance, in Sept 2023, three tourists from Hyderabad were booked by the Lonavala police for flying a drone near the restricted Air Force Station zone. Similarly, in 2021, a youth was booked for flying a drone near INS Shivaji, a sensitive military area in Lonavala.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Pune Rural' is now a misnomer, we are facing urban scale challenges, building trust with industry: SP Pankaj Deshmukh
Sushant Kulkarni: While Pune Rural is the jurisdiction term, it is highly urbanised and industrialised. What do you think about the shift and how policing strategies have evolved? Pankaj Deshmukh: Though the jurisdiction is called Pune Rural, the term is now a misnomer. The majority of our area of responsibility comprises rapidly urbanising and highly industrialised regions, except for some distant tehsils. These areas have all urban amenities. Due to the proximity of urban centres like Pune and Mumbai, this changes how citizens behave and respond, and thus has heightened expectations of us. Baramati, for instance, is an emerging city with significant industries and institutions. Policing faces urban-scale challenges, including a high incidence of crime that sometimes even surpasses that of some of the commissionerates in the state. The jurisdiction is vast and the second-largest in the state, highly populated, and experiences heavy foot traffic due to industries and business activity. Major routes from Pune to Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Kolhapur and Mumbai pass through, increasing mobility and complexity in maintaining law and order. Manoj More: For this vast jurisdiction, do you have adequate strength of the police force? Pankaj Deshmukh: Yeah, we do have. Thanks to the recruitment activity of the past two years, we have recruited around 1,200 personnel. The strength is almost 3,400 now. Due to the retirements, we currently have 150 vacancies, and we will soon begin recruiting for these positions as well. One of the challenges from a human resource perspective is the construction of newer police stations. As new police stations are established, our sanctioned strength will also increase. Manoj More: You spoke of the industrial areas. Has the menace of the miscreants and extortionists been controlled? Pankaj Deshmukh: Yes. As part of the government's 100-day programme, we have conducted meetings with industry representatives in Ranjangaon, Shikrapur, Sanaswadi, and Baramati, as well as with Indo-German industry delegates, primarily to understand their concerns and build trust. As and when complaints have been received, we have booked and arrested the criminals. We have acted against gangs in these areas. We have been proactive in meeting industry delegates. Companies are also proactively coming forward by conveying grievances and registering cases. Industries also have other major concerns, including traffic and security. Soham Shah: Considering the 50 lakh population of the Pune Rural area, the police ratio is 68 per one lakh. The UN recommended number is 222. What number do you plan to achieve, and in what timeline? Pankaj Deshmukh: I won't be able to give you an academic answer. And I am also not disputing the numbers. It may not always be possible to achieve that. But in such cases, technology can be a great enabler. With technology, we can certainly reach out more and serve people better. Any augmentation of personnel strength will occur in a stepwise manner. Chandan Haygunde: There is a position of police patils in rural areas. How many police patrols do you have, and are any steps being taken to train them for effective policing duties? Pankaj Deshmukh: A police patil is a very important functionary in the police setup. We currently have more than 1,300 police patils in our jurisdiction — both men and women. They play a key role in sharing crucial inputs and intelligence from their respective villages and cross-checking the inputs we have received. Our police station staff rely on police patils for certain functions. From May 1, we are launching the initiative 'One Village, One Police Patil, One Constable'. Under this, we will ensure that one of our constables will visit the assigned village every seven to eight days. This is a technology-enabled initiative in which both the police patil and the constable will be seen together at a regular frequency. We have around 1,800 villages in our jurisdiction. Five important locations have been marked and geotagged in each of the villages. On these spots, the assigned constable will visit to mark his presence along with Police Patil by taking a selfie and on some other days, the Police Patil will do so individually. This will ensure both their presence and daily synergy. Sunanda Mehta: You headed the Pune Rural police during both elections, Lok Sabha and Assembly. You handled some of the most sensitive, in-focus areas, including Baramati. Could you share with us your experience and the level of political pressure you had to contend with? Pankaj Deshmukh: You will appreciate that the entire machinery works under the guidance of the Election Commission of India whenever there is an election. As you put it, there were most in-focus elections, but for us, the task is to follow the rule book. While there was anticipation and excitement in the media, on the ground, players played as per the rules that were laid down. I believe it is a convenient narrative to claim there is political pressure. Manoj More: There were allegations from both sides about the distribution of money and freebies… Pankaj Deshmukh: There are institutions and systems in place for the elections. For example, there is the VIGIL application. Whenever anything is reported, the police also respond. Appropriate action has been taken in response to the allegations made. There are typical allegations that money was distributed in government vehicles. As a professional response, instead of countering it with a narrative, we installed dash cams in all our vehicles. If there is an allegation, we can give access to the dash cam footage. Dipanita Nath: You have an IT background. How does that help you in policing? Also, talk to us about the rising cybercrime… Pankaj Deshmukh: My IT background helps me appreciate technology better. It also is a driving force behind some technology-enabled initiatives like 'One Village, One Police Patil, One Constable'. Even in this initiative, we will utilise the data gathered and leverage AI tools to make more informed, data-driven policing decisions. Additionally, there is another tech initiative, a WhatsApp-based chatbot. A citizen can contact the authorities about any illicit activities in the jurisdiction, and the chatbot will compile the information and give it to the appropriate police station for its response. Cybercrime is on the rise, and we have a dedicated cyber cell headed by an inspector-rank officer. We also closely monitor social media, particularly in relation to law and order. Pankaj Deshmukh: In the last more than one year's period, close to 100 drug seizures and related arrests were made under the leadership of ASP Satya Sai Karthik, who was recently posted to Gadchiroli. A good number of cases are still being done. The government is also establishing an anti-narcotics task force, which will include police station-level formations to facilitate the flow of intelligence. Sushant Kulkarni: On the organised crime front, two areas have always been of concern to the police: land and sand. What do you think? Pankaj Deshmukh: On the issue of sand, wherever there was illegal sand mining, especially in the southern parts of the jurisdiction, such as Ujani backwaters, we have taken stringent action with the help of the district administration. Many boats that were involved in sand mining were destroyed by these actions. For example, a gang was involved in an attack on a revenue official. We have taken stringent action against that gang. Illegal sand mining has decreased because there are alternatives available. In some cases, the use of sand is eliminated by newer construction technologies. Coming to land, yes, there are some land-related disputes and land-related gangs who are active, especially in areas where prices are high. We have taken stringent action on this front as well. People also need to exercise some caution when they land deals. Sunanda Mehta: What is the conviction rate for the Pune Rural police? Pankaj Deshmukh: Regarding sessions court cases, it is between 25 and 30 per cent. For judicial magistrate first-class court cases, it is on the lower side. Chandan Haygunde: You mentioned the rise in crime against women. In that context, given the increasing number of colleges in the Pune Rural jurisdiction, what measures are being taken to create a safe environment? Pankaj Deshmukh: In the Baramati subdivision, we conducted Shakti Abhiyan. In addition to extensive sensitisation efforts, we have set up complaint boxes and helpline numbers. A dedicated police team and vehicle have been assigned for each subdivision to respond to these cases. There is a significant drop in cases of crimes against women during this pilot project. In light of these results, we will be extending Shakti Abhiyan to all subdivisions, effective May 1. Chandan Haygune: There were reports of suspicious drones being sighted in some areas of Pune Rural police. You have also procured anti-drone guns. Was that mystery ever solved? Pankaj Deshmukh: There were reports of sightings, there were some rumours about them, and narratives were built around these. It was said drones were spotted in a village and house break-ins took place in the same village. We knew that a theory could not be countered with another theory. As a solution, we procured anti-drone guns. Immediately after that, the reports of sightings and rumours about it went away. Maybe it is because the users realise the risk of losing a costly drone if we take it down when it is flown illegally. We have deployed two teams, one for Pune and one for the Baramati division, and have trained our staff accordingly. If we receive info on unauthorised drone flying, we take it down. We have taken down some microdrones and toy drones. There is a drone policy in place which defines three zones and provides guidelines for our action. Sunanda Mehta: What prompted your shift from IT engineer to joining the IPS? Any regrets? Pankaj Deshmukh: I have no regrets and am very happy with my chosen path. On a lighter note, had I stayed in IT, perhaps The Indian Express would have taken note of me only if I had become a CEO. However, the civil service was always something I aspired to. I appeared for the UPSC, listed my preferred services, and was fortunate enough to secure a position in the IPS and my home cadre. I am truly glad it worked out that way.
