Pune: The crime branch of Pune police solved 12 burglary cases and recovered stolen valuables worth more than Rs 5.37 lakh following the arrest of four men since July 31.
The arrested include Shashikant alias Builder Anant
Mane
(20), his friends
Ravi Ganesh Kengar
(25), from
Walhekarwadi
in
Chinchwad
, and
Yuvraj Kantilal
Jite
(26) and jeweller
Nilesh Virchand Jain
(28), both from Akurdi. Mane is a criminal on police record.
Senior inspector
Satish Nikam
of crime branch (Unit II) had received a tip that
Kengar
had visited a jeweller in Walhekarwadi to sell stolen loot, but he refused to purchase it. When Kengar was taken into custody seeking an explanation on how he had come in possession of the ornaments, he pointed at Mane.
When Kengar was taken into custody, he told police that Mane had committed a spate of burglaries in various parts of the city since April 7 and that he had given him
gold
and silver ornaments to sell. him for selling it to jewellers for getting fast money.
Investigations revealed that the Chinchwad police had arrested Mane in a burglary case and that he was in custody at the
Yerawada
central prison. Mane confessed to his involvement in nine burglary cases committed in day and night time in limits of the Yerawada, Pimpri, Dattawadi, Marketyard, Sinhagad, Uttamnagar, Alankar, Wakad and Dighi police stations.
Mane's 17 year old accomplice was also detained after investigations confirmed his involvement in the crime. Mane's modus operandi is that he travelled on motorbikes and used a crow bar for committing a series of burglaries in locked flats. Mane concealed the stolen loot at Kengar's residence, who in turn, kept some portion of the ornaments at Jite's place.
After Yuvraj was arrested, he allegedly confessed his involvement in selling parts of the stolen loot to jeweller Jain, following which even he was arrested. Two motorbikes allegedly used by Mane in the crime were also recovered.