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Nine persons including from a firearms dealer from Madhya Pradesh were arrested after seven country made pistols and 11 live cartridges were seized from their possession, Pune police said Sunday.
Police have identified the nine accused as Akash Baliram Bidkar (24) of Dattawadi, Sagar Janu Dhebe (24) of Hadapsar, Subhash Balu Margale (24) of Wadgaon Budruk, Tushar Dilip Mane (20) and Tejas Mohan Khatpe (24) of Ambegaon Budruk, Balu Dhondiba Dhebe (27) of Janta Vasahat in Pune City and Shubham Dinesh Bagade (24), Ayran Vishal Kadale (19), Ganesh Jyotiram Nikam (24), all three residents of Satara district.
As per the press release issued by the police on Sunday, a crime branch patrolling team led by senior inspector Rangnath Pawar nabbed accused Akash Bidkar in Erandwane on January 11. Cops recovered a pistol and a live cartridge from his possession.
Police suspect that Bidkar wanted to use the pistol against a family member with whom he had a dispute over a land in Dharashiv district. Police said two quarrels had taken place between Bidkar and family members regarding which cross complaints were also registered at the Parvati police station.
During the probe, Bidkar told the police that he allegedly procured a pistol from his friend Subhash Margale in December, “to defend himself” from the family members who had threatened to kill him following the land dispute.
Police then nabbed Margale, who had allegedly purchased the pistol from accused Sagar Dhebe. Soon, cops nabbed Dhebe and recovered one more pistol and three cartridges from him.
Dhebe’s interrogation revealed that his friend Omkar Lokare was shot dead by his rivals on November 30, 2024. Dhebe too was injured in the incident as the bullets fired by the assailants had hit his leg.
Suspecting that he would be attacked again, Dhebe procured seven country made pistols from Sumankaur Maulaksing Kaur, a firearms dealer from Behrampur in Madhya Pradesh, the press release stated.
During the investigation, Sagar Dhebe told the police that he kept a pistol with himself. He sold one pistol to Margale, one to Aryan Kadale, gave two pistols to his relative Balu Dhebe and two more pistols to Tushar Mane.
Police arrested Kadale, who had allegedly sold the pistol taken from Sagar Dhebe to one Shubham Bagade. Accordingly, police nabbed Bagade and seized the pistol along with two cartridges from him.
Meanwhile, a team of Sinhagad Road police station nabbed accused Balu Dhebe and recovered two pistols and two cartridges from him.
Police also arrested Tushar Mane, who allegedly gave the pistol taken from Sagar Dhebe to a history sheeter Tejas Khatpe of Ambegaon Budruk.
Crime branch team led by senior police inspector Pratap Mankar nabbed Khatpe. Two pistols and three cartridges were recovered from him.
During a press conference, Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) Shailesh Balkawade said that with the recovery of all seven pistols and cartridges that accused Sagar Dhebe had got from Madhya Pradesh, the police have prevented a murder that could have taken place in future.
An FIR against the arrested accused has been lodged at the Alankar police station as per Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita section 111 (3) for facilitating organised crime and sections of the Arms Act.
Police said accused Akash Bidkar, Sagar Dhebe, Tushar Mane, Balu Dhebe and Tejash Khatpe are criminals on record. Assistant police inspector Dnyaneshwar Dhavale the investigating officer of the case.
