300 mobile phones stolen during Ganpati immersion procession  

According to complaints received by police, as many as 300 mobile phones were stolen during the Ganpati immersion procession in the city this week. According to the crime branch, complaints have been filed at Faraskhana, Vishrambaug, Khadak, and Samarth police stations regarding the thefts. Laxmi Road, Kumthekar Road, and Tilak Road were densely crowded during the procession which went on for 28 hours, during which thieves targeted devotees at locations such as Lakshmi Road and Alka Chowk. 

₹2.79 lakh have been seized from their possession.  (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)” title=”Meanwhile, Faraskhana police have arrested two accused -one from Madhya Pradesh and another from Nashik wherein 21 mobile phones valued at ₹2.79 lakh have been seized from their possession.  (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)” /> ₹2.79 lakh have been seized from their possession.  (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)” title=”Meanwhile, Faraskhana police have arrested two accused -one from Madhya Pradesh and another from Nashik wherein 21 mobile phones valued at ₹2.79 lakh have been seized from their possession.  (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)” />

As many as 91 cases of phone thefts were registered at Vishrambaug police station alone on the day of the immersion. Meanwhile, Faraskhana police have arrested two accused -one from Madhya Pradesh and another from Nashik wherein 21 mobile phones valued at ₹2.79 lakh have been seized from their possession. 

Farakhana police sub-inspector Arvind Shinde, along with constables Gajanan Sonawane and Nitin Jadhav, accosted Faisal Aziz Khan (22), a resident of Nashik, and Kalu Raju Parkhi, a resident of Madhya Pradesh.  

SPI Prashant Bhasme said, “The gang was active in Pune during Ganeshotsav where it resorted to stealing mobile phones from devotees before discarding the SIM cards and switching off the devices. The mobile thieves mainly targeted iPhones, leading to more complaints about high-value phone thefts. It is the iPhone’s popular demand in the resale market that makes it a prime target for thieves, who have also adopted technology to evade tracking. Currently, more technical investigation is being carried out to find out more details about their modus operandi,” he said. 

In addition, Faraskhana police have arrested two women from Nashik district who stole gold ornaments during the Ganpati immersion procession. During their investigation, 140 grams of gold jewelry estimated to be ₹9.80 lakh was seized from Navi Mumbai. The accused have been identified as Gita Venkatesh Khatti (20) and Pooja Pravin Gazu (24), both residents of Pathardi, Nashik. The anti-mobile theft investigation was carried out by API Vaibhav Sonawane, PSI Arvind Shinde, and constables Gajanan Sonawane and Rekha Raut attached to Faraskhana police station.