Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Eknath Mahadev Munde (27, Shevadi, Jintur, Parbhani) used to wander around MGM, District Civil Hospital (DCH) by posing as a patient's relative and stole vehicles from their parking lot.
This modus operandi was revealed during his interrogation. Police said that the accused used to carry a bag containing clothes and a tiffin box on his back while making recce only on Saturdays before committing the theft. He stole 26 two-wheelers in nine months.
Crime Branch laid a trap for four weeks and seized all the two-wheelers after his arrest. During the last two years, the number of two-wheeler thefts has set a new record.
The maximum number of two-wheelers were stolen mainly from MGM, DCH, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Railway Station, Prozone Mall, Mukundwadi and MIDC Waluj areas.
A team led by PSI Sandeep Solanke was camping outside the hospital for a month at the instructions of Crime Branch Police Inspector Sandeep Gurme.
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Meanwhile, their suspicion grew on Eknath. Three days ago, the police picked him up at the Jintur bus stand after a search. PSI Solanke along with head constable Yogesh Navsar, Navnath Khandekar, Amol Shinde, Amol Mugale and Santosh Chaure participated in the action.
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14 vehicles were stolen from MGM, six from DCH
Eknath first stole a two-wheeler from outside MGM Hospital with a fake key in June 2024. After that, he stole 14 two-wheelers from outside MGM and six from outside DCH until March 2025. The search for the owners of the two-wheelers is on.
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How Eknath became thief
Eknath’s father was a security guard at the Municipal Park in N-6 while the accused was employed at a cosmetic company. In 2018, he settled in the village. In 2024, a two-wheeler was started with his key in the parking lot. He sold it in the name of his uncle in the rural area for 20 thousand.
From there, his confidence grew. Saturdays are the day off for his job. On the same day, he came to the city by train, stole a two-wheeler and started selling it on bond papers. Interestingly, after stealing the two-wheeler, he would first make two fake keys for the buyer from Shahaganj and then go to the village on the same vehicle.