Pune: Chakan police arrested eight members of a gang involved in stealing copper wires from electric transformers. The police recovered 340 kg of copper wires and strips, along with a car and five motorcycles used in the crimes, all valued at around eight lakh rupees.
The suspects, including Ramesh alias Rahul Balu Padwal, Sunil alias Sairat Shivaji Gawade, Sunil Suresh Gawade, Ravindra Suresh Gawade, Usman Bilal Abdul Herera, and Kartik Namdev Pawar, confessed to the thefts during interrogation.
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) has installed electric transformers in the Chakan Industrial Area and in the Mhalunge, Chakan vicinity.
Copper wires and strips from these transformers were being stolen, prompting Assistant Police Inspector Kalyan Ghadge's team to detain some suspects.
The suspects confessed to stealing copper wires from the transformers. The police seized a total of eight lakh rupees worth of materials, including copper wires and strips, tools used to open the transformers, and vehicles used in the crime.
The accused are habitual offenders. Ramesh Padwal has 16 theft cases registered against him in various police stations in Ahmednagar and Pune districts. Sunil alias Sairat Shivaji Gawade also has theft cases against him.
The accused would switch off the transformer in desolate areas, knock the transformer box down, wait for it to cool, and then steal the copper wires.
This operation was conducted under the guidance of Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinay Kumar Choube, Assistant Police Commissioner Dr. Shashikant Mahawarkar, Additional Police Commissioner Vasant Pardeshi, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Doifode, and Dr. Shivaji Pawar.
The team included Senior Police Inspector Nitin Gite, Assistant Inspector Kalyan Ghadge, and police constables Raju Konkery, Yuvraj Birajdar, Tanaji Gade, Vitthal Wadekar, Amol Borate, Prakash Chafale, Kishor Sangle, Santosh Kale, Ganesh Gaikwad, Shivaji Lokhande, Santosh Waykar, Rajendra Khedkar, Amol Mate, Mangesh Kadam, Sharad Khaire, and Raju Jadhav.