Chhota Rajan aide arrested

The Crime Branch of Pune police arrested Deepak Sapke,an alleged Chhota Rajan sharp-shooter,along with seven accomplices for allegedly preparing to loot at a petrol pump in Hadapsar on Thursday night.

The Crime Branch of Pune police arrested Deepak Sapke (28),an alleged Chhota Rajan sharp-shooter,along with seven accomplices for allegedly preparing to loot at a petrol pump in Hadapsar on Thursday night.

Sapkes accomplices have been identified as Akshay Prakash Mandhare (23) of Shikrapur,Amjad Hamid Khan (35) of Kondhwa,Gaurav Pandurang Shelke (22) of Vadgaonsheri,Surendra Baharadur Singh Purohit (27) of Yerwada,Subramanyam alias Kutty Pandu Devar (27) of Tadiwala Road,Salman Mohammad Hussain Abbaji (24) of Ganj Peth and Amol Vishwas Ohwal (29) of Wagholi.

Acting on a tip-off,a police team led by inspector Sunil Patil of the anti-chain snatching squad of Crime Branch nabbed Sapke and his accomplices at the Siddheshwar Petrol pump around 10.15 pm. Police seized a pistol,five live cartridges,some sharp weapons and a car from them.

Sapke is a criminal on police record and known for his links with underworld don Chhota Rajan. He was earlier arrested in cases of murder,kidnapping and extortions.

The gang was produced before judicial magistrate (first class) V V Muglikar of Pune Cantonment Court which remanded them in police custody till September 19.

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