Latur
Police have recovered stolen property worth Rs 24.8 lakh and solved nine theft cases following the arrest of a gang from Beed district armed with deadly weapons. District superintendent of police Amol Tambe made the announcement at a press conference on Saturday, alongside additional SP Mangesh Chavan, PI Sudhakar Bavkar of the Local Crime Branch (LCB), and API Sadanand Bhujbal.
With help from citizens, Ausa and Bhada police nabbed Rihan Shaikh, Anwar Pathan, Hafeez Shaikh (all from Parli, Beed), Sadiq Mohammad, and Farooq Shaikh (both from Beed) on the night of August 2–3. Three others escaped in the dark. During custody, PI Bavkar and API Mahavir Jadhav discovered the gang’s involvement in multiple thefts across the district. Five police teams were deployed to catch the absconding accused, with three teams under PI Bavkar leading parallel investigations. Acting on a tip-off, the LCB also arrested Sameer Shamshuddin Shaikh from Beed, seizing banned gutkha worth Rs 5.72 lakh and a car valued at Rs 8 lakh.
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Goods hidden in thefts worth Rs 4 lakh
The accused admitted to breaking into shops at night and hiding stolen goods cigarettes, rice, soap, tobacco, edible oil, cashews, almonds, and more worth Rs 4 lakh.
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Thefts in multiple districts
The gang is linked to thefts in Renapur, Chakur, Vadvana, Udgir city, and Kingaon police station limits, along with three cases in Ahmedpur, totalling nine cases. Police have seized vehicles and goods worth Rs 24,80,250 in all. Investigations further revealed their role in thefts in Beed, Parbhani, and Karnataka’s Bidar district. The arrested accused remain in police custody while LCB and Bhada police teams hunt the remaining suspects.