Four held for solar wire theft, highway robberies across 6 districts; Rs 17L haul seized

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Rural police have busted an interdistrict gang allegedly involved in stealing equipment from solar projects and carrying out highway robberies across six Maharashtra districts. Four people, including the alleged mastermind, have been arrested, and booty worth Rs 17.08 lakh has been recovered.Superintendent of police Vinaykumar Rathod said the gang had been targeting solar installations and motorists for several months. "The local crime branch team executed a well-coordinated operation and managed to nab the key accused along with his associates. Their interrogation is helping us connect them to several other offences," he said.Additional superintendent of police Annapurna Singh said the arrests might help crack multiple pending cases. "They operated across district boundaries, striking solar units and highways late at night. Their involvement in similar crimes in other districts is being verified," she said.The action stemmed from a case registered at the Pachod police station after unidentified persons struck a solar power substation around 12.30am on March 1. In his complaint, solar technician Bhausaheb Lahu Pawar said the thieves made away with copper wires worth Rs 1.10 lakh and vandalised equipment before fleeing.During the probe, inspector Vijaysingh Rajput received specific information linking the theft to Pawan alias Channu Mahadev Kale of Khamkarwadi village, a location known for past resistance to police teams. Acting on the tip-off, LCB detained Kale on March 13. During questioning, he allegedly confessed and disclosed details about his associates and the gang's operations.Based on the information, police arrested Sunil Bapu Tapkire of Bhosa, Tawab Nawab Khan, who allegedly purchased the stolen material, and Ishwar Pandurang Gawli, the owner of the vehicle used in the crime.Investigations revealed that the gang was active not only in Sambhajinagar but also in Jalna, Beed, Dharashiv, Ahilyanagar and Solapur districts. Police said Kale was also wanted in robbery cases registered at Washi and Murum police stations in Dharashiv district. He is suspected to have been involved in incidents, in which tyres were thrown on highways at night to force vehicles to stop before robbing motorists.