7 minor boys among eight caught with six pistols, live cartridges in Pimpri Chinchwad

During searches, police recovered a country-made pistol and a live cartridge from each of the four boys. Police seized the firearms and detained the boys. An FIR was registered against the minors at Pimpri police station under sections of the Arms Act.

Senior police inspector Ashok Kadlag said the minors were planning to use the firearms for committing a serious crime. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 1) Sandip Atole, the boys procured the pistols and cartridges from a firearms dealer Pappi Singh (35), hailing from Umrati in Madhya Pradesh. Police have launched a search for him.

Police said two minor accused in this case have a previous criminal record. One of them was booked in as many as nine crimes in the past, registered at Sinhagad, Chikhali, Warje Malwadi and Ambegaon police stations in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.

Another minor accused was booked in crimes registered at the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. Police are investigating how the minor accused came in contact with one another and procured firearms from the Madhya Pradesh-based dealer.

Meanwhile, in another action, sleuths of the crime branch of the Pimpri Chinchwad police apprehended three minors, along with a 19-year-old man, with two country-made pistols on Saturday.

Police said that the four accused had allegedly attacked and opened fire at a man in Hadapsar area of Pune city around 9.30pm on October 15. Acting on a tip-off, the crime branch team initially laid a trap and apprehended three minors from More Wasti area in Chikhali while they were moving suspiciously on a Royal Enfield motorcycle.

Following their interrogation, the police arrested their accomplice Atharva Sopan Marne (19) of Rajvilas society in Ambegaon Budruk in Pune city.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Shivaji Pawar said, “One pistol was recovered from a minor, while another pistol was seized from Marne’s possession. Two cartridges have also been seized from the boys. They were involved in an attempted murder case at Hadapsar. Further investigation is on to know from where they procured the firearms.”

Police said all accused in this case were earlier involved in serious crimes,including murder, extortion and vehicle thefts.

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