Pune : Two thieves caught stealing branches of Sandalwood trees in Khadki 

On Sunday, 10th March 2024, around 12:30 am, 4 thieves entered the High Explosives Factory (HEF) situated in Khadki and were trying to steal Sandalwood when they were caught by the security guard.
In total, four thieves had come to steal, but two ran away and two were caught by the guard. The two thieves are identified as Sopan Dholeram Katore, 38, residing at Sinnar, Nashik and Dinesh Devram Bhutambare, 25, residing at Ambegaon, Pune.

According to Anna Gunja, PSI Khadki Police Station, “The incident took place around 12:00-15 at night when the security guard saw four thieves sealed Sandalwood branch and immediately called the Khadki Control room and the police reached there to catch the thieves. Out of the four, two were caught and the remaining got away, search is going on for the fled suspects.”
Currently, the two thieves are under arrest under section 379 (Punishment for theft) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and will be in jail as per the court hearing.
Earlier on 1st March, 2 Sandalwood trees were stolen from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). 3 people in total intruded on the campus and started chopping the Sandalwood tree in the dark. 2 MSF Jawan who were patrolling the campus noticed an unusual activity, they went to catch the intruders immediately, but they escaped into the Jungle area behind the campus. They stole 2 small Sandalwood plants worth Rs. 20,000.