Pune: The Pune Crime Branch has successfully apprehended two criminals who had fled after assaulting Assistant Police Inspector Ratnadeep Gaikwad with a machete in the Hadapsar area.

The suspects, identified as 18-year-old Nihalsingh Mannusingh Tak and 19-year-old Rahulsingh alias Rahulya Ravindrasingh Bhond, were arrested in the Solapur area following a swift police operation.

The incident occurred on Sunday around 4 p.m. in the Sasanenagar area of Hadapsar, where two motorcyclists were involved in a dispute. Nihalsing and Rahulsingh were engaged in the argument, with a machete in hand.

Assistant Police Inspector Ratnadeep Gaikwad, who was passing by, noticed the situation and attempted to intervene by disarming Nihalsing Tak.

During the scuffle, Tak threw the machete, causing serious injury to Gaikwad's forehead. After the assault, Tak and his accomplice Bhond fled the scene.

Deputy Commissioner of Police R. Raja visited the crime scene, while Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar met with the injured officer at the hospital. Orders were issued to apprehend the fugitives.

Acting on these orders, a team from the Crime Branch, under the guidance of Additional Police Commissioner Shailesh Balkawde, Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Pingle, and Assistant Commissioner Satish Govekar, apprehended Tak and Bhond in the Solapur area.

This attack was the latest in a series of violent incidents involving the "Koyta Gang," which has terrorized Pune in recent years. Despite numerous actions taken by the police to curb their activities, the gang continues to engage in criminal acts, including vandalism, intimidation of citizens, and now, direct attacks on law enforcement personnel.