Pune: Gang stealing tractors, cattle from farmers busted; four arrested

Police claimed to have busted a gang that has allegedly been stealing vehicles, mainly tractors, and cattle from farmers. As many as 20 vehicles, including 10 tractors, and six cows, which were stolen from Pune, Ahmednagar and Solapur districts, were recovered, police said.

According to the police, a team from the local crime branch of Pune Rural Police has been tracking multiple cases of theft of vehicles, particularly tractors, and cattle from Junnar and Shirur areas in Pune, and Parner in neighbouring Ahmednagar district.

Police said the probe was being closely monitored by Pune Rural superintendent of police Abhinav Deshmukh, additional superintendent Milind Mohite and crime branch in-charge inspector Padmakar Ghanwat. The crime branch team recently received a tip-off that some people in Shirur taluka were spotted with new vehicles in their possession, on multiple occasions, police added.

After keeping a close watch on them and conducting a preliminary probe, the team apprehended four suspects on Monday and Tuesday, police said. They were identified as Satish Rakshe, Dnyandeo Nachbone, alias Mauli, and Pravin Korde, all from Shirur, and Sunil alias Devkate from Barshi in Solapur.

Police said in subsequent searches, they recovered 10 tractors, two pick-up trucks, a jeep, an SUV and six bikes, along with six cows, all valued at around Rs 77 lakh. The four suspects were involved in 21 cases of theft and three attempted heists at banks or ATM kiosks, police added.

Out of the 21 cases of theft, 12 were from Shirur, Aalephata, Manchar, Khed, Yawat and Narayangaon, while eight were from Belwandi and Parner in Ahmednagar, and one from Barshi in Solapur, police said. As many as 18 out of 21 cases were registered this year while the remaining three were filed in 2020, they added.