Pune Police Review 102 CCTV Cameras, Arrest Rickshaw Thief And Recover Six Stolen Autos Worth Rs 10.78 Lakh
Pune Police Review 102 CCTV Cameras, Arrest Rickshaw Thief And Recover Six Stolen Autos Worth Rs 10.78 Lakh
Pune, March 10, 2026: The investigation team of Kale Padal Police Station in Pune has arrested a habitual auto-rickshaw thief who allegedly stole rickshaws and used registration numbers from scrap vehicles to operate them. Police have recovered six auto-rickshaws worth ₹10.78 lakh during the operation.
According to police, a case was registered under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. During the investigation, the police team reviewed footage from 102 CCTV cameras installed near locations where rickshaw thefts had occurred within the police station’s jurisdiction.
While examining the footage, Police Constables Mahadev Shinde, Laxman Kale, Vishal Thombre and Giriraj Jagdale were working on the case when constable Mahadev Shinde received a tip-off from an informer. Acting on the information, the team reached near Pokharai Dam, where a stolen auto-rickshaw was found parked under a tree.
Police laid a trap and detained the person sitting inside the rickshaw. During questioning, he identified himself as Shadab Yusuf Ansari (25), a resident of Galli No. 24, Sayyed Nagar, Mohammadwadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune.
During interrogation, it was revealed that the accused had been attaching number plates of scrap rickshaws to stolen vehicles and using them. Further investigation led to the recovery of six Bajaj auto-rickshaws worth ₹10.78 lakh and the detection of five theft cases registered at Kale Padal Police Station and other police stations. Police also seized one unclaimed rickshaw.
The recovered vehicles include:
- MH-12-SC-5223 – related to Crime No. 108/2026 at Kale Padal Police Station (₹1,98,000)
- MH-12-HPR-7571 – related to Crime No. 42/2026 at Chandan Nagar Police Station (₹2,05,000)
- MH-12-KR-2876 – related to Crime No. 60/2026 at Ambegaon Police Station (₹1,88,000)
- MH-14-HM-2837 – related to Crime No. 49/2026 (₹1,92,000)
- MH-12-VW-7043 – related to Crime No. 23/2026 at Tukaram Nagar Police Station, Wanawadi (₹1,97,000)
- MH-12-QE-5658 – unclaimed rickshaw (₹98,000)
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Rajkumar Shinde and Atulkumar Navgire, and as per the instructions of Manasing Patil.
The team included Assistant Police Inspector Amit Shete, Police Head Constable Pravin Kalbhor, Amol Fadtare, Daud Sayyed, Pratik Lahigude, Police Naik Shahid Sheikh, Vishal Thombre, Laxman Kale, Atul Pandharkar, Nitin Dhole, Saddam Tamboli, Pradeep Bediskar, Mahadev Shinde and Giriraj Jagdale.
Senior Police Inspector Mansing Patil said the team’s swift investigation and coordination led to the successful detection of the theft cases and recovery of the stolen vehicles.
