Pune: Swargate Police Nab Two Burglars After Extensive Examination of More than 1600 CCTV Cameras (Video)
Seize Goods Worth Rs 80 Lakh including Stolen Jewelleries from Them
Pune:
In a significant action, the Swargate police have arrested a recidivist burglar along with his two accomplices and seized 860 grams of gold jewellery, 150 diamonds, three and a half kilos of silver, 3 pistols, 5 live rounds, a two-wheeler, and burglary equipment worth Rs 80 lakh from them. While investigating a burglary case in Salisbury Park on December 19 last month, Swargate police examined around 1,600 to 1,700 local CCTV cameras and arrested the accused.
Notably, the police have revealed 14 cases of burglary from these accused. Deputy Commissioner of Police Smartana Patil gave this information at a press conference.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Ganesh Kathewade (an original native of Mukhed, District Nanded), Suresh Baban Pawar (a resident of Balaji Nagar, Dhankawadi, an original native of Ambadvet, Taluka Mulshi), and mediator Bhimsingh, alias Ajay Karansingh Rajput (Nathwala).
Last month, the accused had robbed a house in the Salisbury Park area and stolen valuables worth lakhs of rupees from the cupboard of the house using the key, including 29 tolas of gold jewellery, 20 tolas of gold, and 4.5 kg of other silver jewellery. While investigating the crime, the police checked 1600 to 1700 CCTV cameras in the area. At that time, Police Amaldar Rafiq Nadaf, Shankar Sampate, Sagar Kekan, and Dinesh Bhandurge received information from their informants that the burglar was hiding in Undri.
The police then searched the area and arrested the accused, Ganesh Kathewade, from the Undri area on January 1. Kathewade was booked in 55 crimes, including ATM theft, robbery, burglary, forced theft, and vehicle theft, and sent to Yerawada jail under MCOCA action. There, he met Suresh Pawar, who was arrested under the charges of murder and attempted murder. Both these accused became friends in jail. After coming out of jail on bail, both the accused started committing burglaries in Pune.
After coming out of jail, Kathewade worked as a Zomato delivery boy for a few months. After that, he used to go to societies and do recce wearing the dress of a Zomato delivery boy. He confessed that he committed 14 house burglaries in various police station areas and 7 thefts at Swargate ST Stand.
The modus operandi of Kathewade in the crime was simple. He used to rob houses and steal jewellery from the house. Then he used to keep this stolen jewellery with various jewellers in Pune city and accepted money from them in exchange for various reasons. In this, Bhimsingh Rajput (Nathwala), a businessman who sells gold, mediated and helped him in the transaction.
Police revealed that the accused, Kathewade, disguised himself as a Zomato delivery boy to commit burglaries in housing societies. To evade CCTV detection, he travelled 40-50 km through narrow lanes and changed his appearance using jackets, wigs, and hats. Even if caught on camera, he pretended to talk on his phone to mislead investigators.
Police also informed that Kathewade was trying to buy a flat in a posh area in the Karve Nagar area with the stolen money. He spent the money from the stolen jewellery in Goa and other places for fun. It has been revealed that he invested some of this money in the stock market.
The other accused in this case, Suresh Pawar, was Deputy Sarpanch of Ambadvet village and was arrested in Yerawada jail under MCOCA action under the murder charges of Balu Marne. He had carried 2 pistols and 5 live cartridges on the house’s terrace for self-protection.
This action was taken by the team of Senior Police Inspector Yuvraj Nandre of Swargate Police Station, Assistant Police Inspector Rahul Kolambikar, Police Sub-Inspector Ravindra Kaspate, as well as Police Amaldar Sanjay Bhapkar, Shridhar Patil, Nana Bhandurge, Kundan Shinde, Sudhir Ingle, Sachin Tanpure, Shankar Sampate, Sagar Kekan, Satish Kumbhar, Rafiq Nadaf, Rahul Tambe, Vikram Sawant, Sharad Gore, Ramesh Chavan, Ujwala Thorat, Pournima Gaikwad, and Police Mitra Dinesh Parihar.
In this action, the guidance of Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Police Commissioner Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Additional Police Commissioner Pravin Kumar Patil, and Assistant Police Commissioner Rahul Aware proved useful.
