Disguised as Warkari, dedicated teams of Pimpri Chinchwad Police have arrested 55 people, including 12 women, on suspicion of being involved in petty thefts and dacoity during the Palkhi procession. Officials said some of the arrested suspects are habitual offenders and stolen valuables have also been recovered from them.
Meanwhile, 17 cases of theft and robbery were registered at Alandi, Dehu Road and Dighi police stations under Pimpri Chinchwad jurisdiction on June 21 and 22.
Some of the 55 suspects arrested by the police are alleged to be involved in these cases.
A senior police officer said, “These suspects have committed these crimes in groups and
Most are from rural areas of Ahmednagar, Beed, Parbhani, Latur and Nanded districts of the state. They come from areas where farmers have low landholdings, agriculture is irrigated and heavily dependent on rains. It’s a pattern we’ve seen over the years.”
This year, the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage is taking place on a full scale after a gap of two pandemic years. Two
The major processions of Wari – Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palki – have started their three-week journey from Delhi and Alandi to Pandharpur on June 20 and 21 respectively. Both the palanquins and the thousands of pilgrims accompanying them are resting in Pune on Thursday and will resume their journey.
Pandharpur on Friday morning.
On 20, 21 and 22 June, as the palanquin headed towards Pune and thousands of pilgrims were walking along, dedicated teams of Pimpri Chinchwad Police were deployed to check petty thefts, chain snatching, dacoity and pick-pocketing. it was done. Special teams have also been deployed to keep a watch on eve-teasing.
Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Ankush Shinde said, “As part of the elaborate deployment of police, separate crime branch teams were deployed on the routes of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar Palki. Some personnel of these teams had disguised as Warkaris. During this deployment some people were investigated on the basis of primary suspicion. In some other cases these teams reacted to the reports of theft and arrested some suspects on the spot and later nabbed their accomplices also. Some were caught red handed.”
Teams deployed on the route of Sant Dnyaneshwar Palki have arrested 37 suspects including 11 women and detained a minor suspect. Police have recovered stolen gold jewelery and mobile phones from these suspects.
Teams deployed on Sant Tukaram Palki Marg have arrested 18 suspects, including a woman. Those arrested include four suspects from Rajasthan, who are in their early 20s and are accused of being involved in several cases of theft and dacoity registered in Panvel.
Before the procession, the Pimpri Chinchwad police had taken preventive action against 160 criminals on its record.