Pune: Notorious bike thief with 70 cases arrested in Pimpri Chinchwad
Pune: Notorious bike thief with 70 cases arrested in Pimpri Chinchwad
Shankar Devkule (32), a resident of Urali Devachi, was arrested by the Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch last Saturday for stealing two-wheelers. Devkule, who has 70 previous vehicle theft cases across multiple cities, was nabbed after a brief chase. The police recovered 13 stolen vehicles, including bikes and two autorickshaws.
A native of Dharashiv district, Devkule targeted two-wheelers parked at Metro stations in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, and one in Bhiwandi. Using duplicate keys, he specifically picked bikes without handle locks. The absence of proper parking management at the Metro stations made the vehicles easy targets.
Devkule would stole motorcycles during the day when commuters parked their vehicles and returned in the evening.
CCTV footage helped the police track Devkule, leading to his arrest from Kharalwadi. He tried to escape but was caught after a brief chase.
Police revealed that Devkule had been in and out of jail multiple times but continued stealing to support his addiction to liquor and substances. The stolen bikes were hidden in secluded spots, ready for sale at cheap prices.
The police expect to recover more vehicles. Metro station parking lots had been managed by an agency, but the contract was recently terminated. Maha Metro plans to appoint a new agency soon to curb thefts.
The crime branch continues to patrol Metro stations, but Devkule timed his thefts when officers weren’t around.
