Pune Rural police bust group of cellphone thieves from Jharkhand targeting Pandharpur Wari pilgrims

On June 24, a team from the Daund police station responded to a call about a cell phone theft from the Amar Society in Daund taluka of Pune district. A team led by Inspector Vinod Ghuge launched a probe based on the clues available from the theft.

Over the next day, the police arrested three people and detained three minors who were believed to be part of the gang active in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

Inspector Ghuge said, “The arrested suspects said they had come to Pune particularly during the period of Pandharpur Wari to steal cell phones from Wakaris who participate in the Palkhi processions.”
The police probe suggests that the suspects have also stolen cell phones from places like Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh and Bhusaval, Nagpur, Jalgaon, Nashik and Amravati in Maharashtra and some places in Jharkhand.

Before this, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrested 55 people, including 12 women, suspected to be involved in petty thefts and robberies that took place during Palkhi processions. They were arrested by police teams comprising personnel who were disguised as Warkaris.