Habitual offenders held in Pundliknagar house break-in; Rs 36,600 seized

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The Crime Branch has arrested two habitual offenders in connection with a house break-in at Pundliknagar and recovered Rs 36,600 in stolen cash from them.

Senior police inspector Gajanan Kalyankar identified the accused as Rama alias Ramjane Kshirsagar (33) and Chandrakant Mane (33), a resident of Chinchwad, Pune. The duo allegedly targeted the locked residence of Laxman Maruti Kadam on January 10 when he had travelled out of town with his family for a religious function. They reportedly broke open the lock and decamped with Rs 1.70 lakh in cash, gold and silver ornaments, and costly wristwatches worth Rs 3.65 lakh. A case was registered at Pundliknagar police station. Acting on a tip-off on April 16, a Crime Branch team led by sub-inspector Abhijit Chikhlikar, with assistance from Dharashiv police, laid a trap at Gaur Waghole in Kalamb taluka and apprehended the accused from the Yermala area. Police are making efforts to recover the remaining stolen property.