Cops have recovered eight generators and three tempos; the gang would rent out the stolen generators to others, earning nearly Rs 50,000 -Rs 60,000 a month
Two members of a gang of four have been arrested for allegedly stealing generators from wedding halls and industrial areas in Pune district. The accused would then rent out these generators in the outskirts of cities.
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Kondhwa police have arrested Rajendra Javalkar (50) a Khanapur resident and Mahendra Bhoj (38) from Ahmednagar on Tuesday morning, after a complaint was filed on October 17.
Two other accomplices are currently on the run. Rajan Bhogale, assistant commissioner of police, said, “We have recovered eight generators and three tempos, estimated at Rs 50 lakh.
Bhoj was the kingpin of the gang, and Javalkar has around 70 cases of vehicle theft registered against him. The duo had met in Ahmednagar and then decided to form a gang.”
Modus operandi
Rajendra Mokashi, inspector in-charge of Kondhwa police station, said, “Javalkar would steal tempos with generators mounted on them, from wedding halls using duplicate keys.
They have stolen generators from Yerawada, Dattawadi, Swargate and Warje Malwadi. They would then load the generator on another tempo and dismantle the stolen vehicle. The gang would either sell the tempo to a scrap yard, or abandon it in an isolated area.”
“After we received the complaint, we checked our records and zeroed in on Javalkar, who spilled the beans. After stealing the generators, they would rent it to other parties, earning around R50,000 to R60,000 a month,” Mokashi added.