Youth arrested for stealing 31 smartphones

PUNE: The crime branch of the Pune police on Saturday arrested a 19-year-old youth for stealing 31 smartphones from commuters travelling in state transport and PMPML buses.

“Awaiz Parvez Shaikh from Hadapsar, a drug addict, stole phones of commuters at

Swargate

, Shivajinagar and Hadapsar bus stands to make quick bucks,” police said, adding that the suspect was nabbed following a tip-off received by police naik Sandip Talekar.

Acting on the tip-off, a police team led by senior inspector Sitaram More, in-charge of the crime branch unit 3, arrested Shaikh from Swargate bus stand on Friday. “His frisking led to the recovery of six smartphones. He was detained under section 41 (1) (d) of the Criminal Procedure Code. His questioning led to the recovery of 25 more phones, following which he was arrested in a theft case registered with the Swargate police,” More said.

He said, “Shaikh has confessed of stealing four phones from Hadapsar and one each from Swargate and Shivajinagar.”

Shaikh used to sell the stolen phones at throwaway prices, Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000, to known people, More said.

He will be produced before a magisterial court on Sunday,” the officer added.