Pune: Notorious Auto Rickshaw Thief Arrested in Pimpri Chinchwad; Four Stolen Rickshaws Recovered

Pimpri Chinchwad, 5th August 2024: Currently, vehicle theft appears to be a trend among thieves in Pimpri Chinchwad, with frequent reports of stolen vehicles. The Crime Branch Unit 2 of Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) has arrested a notorious historysheeter, an auto rickshaw thief. Four auto rickshaws from TVS and Bajaj companies were confiscated, and crimes in various police stations have been solved.

Crime Branch Unit 2 arrested Ganesh Dattu Suryawanshi (age 30, resident of Ota Scheme, Nigdi). Suryawanshi is a known historysheeter. Crimes under the BNS Section 303 (theft) have been registered against him at Chikhali, Pimpri, and Kothrud Police Stations.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode, Crime Branch Units across the city have been instructed by the Pimpri Chinchwad Commissioner of Police to curb vehicle theft. Today, Constable Deva Raut received information from a confidential source that a person with a stolen auto rickshaw was roaming in the Nigdi area. A team was formed under the leadership of Police Inspector Jitendra Kadam of Crime Branch Unit 2 and sent to investigate.

Suryawanshi was spotted driving from Bhakti Shakti Chowk to Triveni Chowk. Upon noticing the police, Suryawanshi attempted to flee by speeding up the auto-rickshaw. However, using great presence of mind, the Crime Branch Unit 2 officers managed to catch him. During interrogation and a thorough investigation, four stolen autorickshaws were recovered. Three of these had cases registered at Chikhali, Pimpri, and Kothrud Police Stations, while the ownership of the fourth auto rickshaw is still being investigated.

Park Safely, Lock Up, or Risk Theft

Ganesh Suryawanshi is a notorious repeat offender with a history of theft. He has had cases registered against him before. In this case, he targeted auto rickshaws without handle locks or those parked in deserted places, using fake keys to steal them. He attempted to sell these stolen auto rickshaws to illiterate people who wouldn’t question anything. However, before he could complete these sales, Crime Branch Unit 2 arrested him.

The Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) has urged citizens to park their vehicles in safe places, apply handle locks while parking, and report any suspicious individuals to the Control Room.

This operation was conducted under the guidance of Pimpri Chinchwad Commissioner of Police Vinoy Kumar Choubey, Joint Commissioner of Police Shashikant Mahavarkar, Additional Commissioner of Police Vasant Pardeshi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dr Vishal Hire. The team led by Police Inspector Jitendra Kadam included Police Sub Inspector Ganesh Mane and Police Constables Pramod Vetal, Jaywant Raut, Deva Raut, Namdev Kapase, and Ajit Sanap.