Pune Crime Files | How a gang stealing tractors, farm equipment was busted

A gang targeting farm equipment, from tractors to water pumps, was recently apprehended by the Pune Rural police. The suspects, Jaydeep Nanasaheb Gholave, 22, Meghraj Nanasaheb Ombase, 22, and Akash Vilas Shinde, 23, were all residents of Nibodi in Indapur taluka and farmers themselves. The trio was arrested in August, and together they had stolen agricultural equipment and vehicles worth approximately Rs 25 lakh.

The police investigation focused on the unique pattern of these thefts, rather than treating each incident as isolated. Farmers' tractors and irrigation pumps, crucial for their work, were left unusable, leading the police to scrutinize the situation more closely. One farmer reported seeing a stolen trolley on a nearby farm, which helped the police trace the suspects.

The investigation, which is still ongoing, is probing if the arrested men were part of a larger network. The suspects were primarily involved in stealing farm equipment from the Lakadi, Shindewadi, and Bhavaninagar areas of Indapur.