MCOCA invoked against gang that robbed senior citizens in Pune

Pune city police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against a history-sheeter and five associates who had allegedly attacked and robbed senior citizens at their residences in different parts of Pune and other districts.

Police have identified accused persons including the gang leader Sandeep Bhagwan Hande (25), Kishor Kalyan Changhate (21), Bholesh alias Krushna Kisan Chavan (25), Bharat Badrinath Changhate, all four from Aurangabad, Mangesh Bandu Gunde (20) of Jalna, Vikram Deepak Thapa alias VK (19) of Nashik.

As per the press release issued today, on March 3, 2021, the accused persons armed with sharp weapons had allegedly attacked and robbed elderly citizens at their residence in the plush Panchavati area in Pashan.

Then, on April 25, 2021, the accused persons allegedly robbed valuables worth Rs 15.8 lakhs by pointing a knife at a 73 year old lady and her 76 year old husband at a bungalow in the Sindh society, Sadhu Vaswani Nagar in Aundh.
Separate offences were lodged in these cases at the Chaturshringi police station.

During investigation, police had arrested the six accused and recovered booty worth Rs 21.75 lakhs from their possession. Probe revealed that accused Hande worked as a caretaker at the residence of senior citizens and later robbed them after conducting a recce of the area. Police said the gang had allegedly committed seven serious crimes in Pune, Aurangabad and Jalna districts.

So, senior police inspector Rajkumar Waghchoure of Chaturshringi police station submitted a proposal to involve MCOCA against the accused Hande and his five gang members.

DCP (zone 4) Pankaj Deshmukh forwarded the proposal to additional commissioner of police Namdev Chavan, who approved it after verifying the criminal records against the accused persons. Assistant commissioner of police Ramesh Galande is investigating the case.