Pune: Two key members of a gang involved in terrorizing Bhekrai Nagar by vandalizing vehicles were arrested by the Anti-Extortion Squad at Pune Airport.

The gang had caused panic in the area by damaging several vehicles, and the police had initiated proceedings against them under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA).

The main accused had fled to Nepal, but after receiving intelligence about their return, the police acted swiftly to capture them.

The accused, identified as Rahul Balasaheb Tupe (34) and Sagar Ramesh Dhumal (43), were apprehended at Pune Airport as they returned from Nepal via a flight from Lucknow.

Their arrest follows a complaint lodged by Ajay Ashok Jagdale, a resident of Bhekrai Nagar, who had been threatened by Rahul Tupe over a property dispute. Jagdale had sold a piece of land to Milind Tupe, Rahul’s associate, four to five years ago.

When Jagdale demanded the payment for the land, Milind had agreed, but Rahul Tupe, from Kolhapur Jail, issued death threats, warning Jagdale not to ask for the money. The tension between the two parties escalated.

On August 24, in a dramatic midnight incident, Rahul Tupe, along with Sachin Tupe and a group of 10 to 15 men, descended upon Jagdale's house and vandalized two of his cars, a Hyundai Creta and an Alto, parked outside.

This act of violence caused fear among local residents. In response to the rising threat posed by this gang, the police invoked MCOCA, a stringent law designed to tackle organized crime.

Following the filing of the case, both Rahul Tupe and Sagar Dhumal went into hiding.

The Anti-Extortion Squad, under the leadership of Police Inspector Vijay Kumbhar, obtained critical information that the suspects had fled to Nepal and were traveling to Pune from Lucknow by flight. Acting on this intelligence, a team was dispatched to the Pune Airport, where they successfully apprehended the two accused.

This successful operation was carried out under the supervision of senior police officials, including Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Additional Commissioner Shailesh Balkawade, Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Pingle, and Assistant Commissioner Rajendra Mulik. Police Inspector Vijay Kumbhar, Assistant Inspector Prashant Sande, Sub-Inspector Gaurav Dev, and a team of officers were instrumental in bringing the accused to justice.