Wanwadi Police have arrested seven individuals were arrested in connection with the vandalism incident reported in Hadapsar area of Pune.
The arrested individuals are Abhijit Ashok Kakade, Ballya Gaikwad, Nitin Patole, Mahesh Shinde, Bala, Pyari alias Prashant Kamble, and Pappu Singh Gurubachan Singh Kalyani.
This comes just three days after Pune police used Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MACOCA) against a gang for vandalism in Yerwada
Abhijeet Chavan, a police officer, filed a complaint at Wanwadi police station.
According to the police, officers Chavan and Jagtap were patrolling Ramtekdi area on Wednesday midnight when they received information about a gang causing chaos in Vandemataram Chowk in Ramtekdi Area.
The gang had reportedly attacked vehicles with stones. Upon reaching the spot, the accused physically assaulted officer Chavan and threw stones at the police car. The seven individuals who managed to escape have now been apprehended, and Assistant Police Inspector Deshmukh is leading the investigation.
Wave of vandalism
In the previous incident, the gang targeted and damaged rickshaws, tempos, cars, and two-wheelers, amounting to 20 to 25 vehicles. Their aggressive actions included threats and abuse, creating a sense of fear and panic among residents.
Earlier in December, the Hadapsar Police publicly paraded four men and five juveniles accused of assault, vandalism, and threatening residents. This was done as a proactive measure to reassure the community and act as a deterrent against future criminal activities.
Adding to the grim statistics, a group of men had previously vandalised 25 vehicles at Sahakarnagar. According to crime branch data, over 250 vehicles fell victim to damage caused by gangs, youngsters, and individuals influenced by alcohol and drugs in 2023. The prevailing reasons behind these incidents range from inter-gang rivalry, group factionalism, to alcoholism and drug abuse.
