Pune Police Nab Thief Stealing Expensive Remote Radio Units From Mobile Towers; Equipment Worth Rs. 5,70,000 Seized

Earlier, two suspects, Akshay Shantaram Bodke, 26, from Indiranagar, Bibwewadi, Pune, and Ashish Ashok Shinde, 39, from Papal Vasti, Bibwewadi, Pune, were arrested in connection with the theft.

On August 27, 2024, while patrolling during the Dahi Handi festival, police officers from Sahakarnagar received information that a man was attempting to sell stolen remote radio units at a scrap shop near KK Market. Acting on the tip, Senior Police Inspector Chhagan Kapse promptly dispatched a team led by Assistant Police Inspector Sagar Patil to apprehend the suspect.

Upon arrival at the location, the police team caught the suspect, who was later identified as Dilshad Mohammad Rafique, 32, a resident of Kul utsav Society, Kondhwa, Pune, originally from Uttar Pradesh. During questioning, Rafique confessed to the theft and revealed that he committed the crime with his accomplices, Akshay Bodke and Ashish Shinde.

The stolen remote radio units, valued at ₹5,70,000, were recovered from Rafique. He has been arrested, and further investigations are ongoing.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Pravin Kumar Patil, Additional Police Commissioner, Western Regional Division; Smartana Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Circle 2; Nandini Vagyani, Assistant Police Commissioner, Swargate Division; Senior Police Inspector Chhagan Kapse of Sahakarnagar Police Station; and Police Inspector (Crime) Uttam Bhajanwale. The team consisted of API Sagar Patil, API Bapu Khutwad, and officers Sagar Sutkar, Khandu Shinde, Amol Pawar, Kiran Kamble, Bajrang Pawar, Chandrakant Jadhav, Mahesh Mandlik, Sagar Kumbhar, Amit Padmale, and Vishal Wagh.