Pune: During the grand Ganesh Visarjan procession in Pune, thieves managed to steal over 300 mobile phones from citizens amidst the large crowds.
The cases have been reported across several police stations in Pune, including Faraskhana, Vishrambaug, Khadak, and Samarth. The Vishrambaug Police Station reported the highest number of incidents, with 91 mobile phones stolen along the main procession route.
The annual Ganesh Visarjan procession attracts massive crowds, and this year was no exception. Laxmi Road, Kumthekar Road, Kelkar Road, and Tilak Road saw the heaviest footfall, especially near Belbaug Chowk and Lokmanya Tilak Chowk.
Despite heavy police presence and loudspeaker warnings cautioning attendees about the risk of theft, a significant number of mobile thefts were reported, particularly on Laxmi Road.
In total, 25 cases of mobile theft were registered during the 10-day festival, with the majority occurring on the day of the Visarjan. Undercover police teams had been deployed to prevent such incidents, but the sheer volume of people allowed thieves to carry out their operations.
Faraskhana Police took swift action by arresting two members of a mobile theft gang from Madhya Pradesh and Nashik. Faizal Aziz Khan (22), a resident of Nashik, and Kalu Raju Parkh from Madhya Pradesh were apprehended, and police recovered 21 stolen mobile phones valued at ₹2.79 lakh. The operation was led by Senior Police Inspector Prashant Bhasme and his team.
According to Senior Police Inspector Prashant Bhasme, “During the festival season, mobile theft gangs from other states often infiltrate the city to take advantage of large gatherings. They steal phones and immediately discard the SIM cards to avoid detection. We have arrested two thieves from Madhya Pradesh and Nashik.”
Additionally, the Faraskhana Police arrested a gang of women from Nashik who were involved in stealing expensive mobile phones. During their investigation, police discovered that the same gang was involved in jewelry thefts in Navi Mumbai.
Two women, Geeta Venkatesh Khatti (20) and Pooja Praveen Gazhu (24), were arrested in connection with the thefts. The arrests were made by Assistant Police Inspector Vaibhav Sonawane, Sub-Inspector Arvind Shinde, Gajanan Sonune, and Rekha Raut.
