Pune Police have arrested a man for stealing batteries valued at ₹5.70 lakh from various mobile companies' towers. The incidents took place between March and August this year.
The accused has been identified as Mohammad Rafiq (32), a resident of Kul Utsav Society, Khadi Machine Chowk, Kondhwa, and a native of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, on March 8, victim Sagar Rajendra More installed 4G mobile towers at Kedar Apartment, Sambhajinagar, Dhankawadi and Sai Kripa Society, Sahakarnagar. However, the batteries of these towers were later stolen by unknown persons.
A case was registered at Sahakarnagar police station under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code regarding the theft by unknown persons. In connection with this crime, two accused, Akshay Shantaram Bodke (26) and Ashish Ashok Shinde (39), were arrested from Papal Vasti, Bibwewadi.
On August 27, during the Dahi Handi festival, Police Inspector Sagar Sutkar of Sahakarnagar Police Station received a tip that an unknown person was coming to sell mobile tower batteries near the KK market.
Acting on the tip-off, the police team reached the spot and caught Rafiq red-handed, carrying mobile tower batteries in a bag. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and named Bodke and Shinde as his accomplices. The police also recovered goods worth ₹5.7 lakh from a shop where he had come to sell the batteries.
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Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Senior Police Inspector Chhagan Kapse said, "There is a particular gang that commits such crimes. Some of them work only to steal the batteries, while others sell them in the market. The market value of a single mobile tower battery is up to ₹40,000 domestically and up to ₹60,000 internationally. We have arrested the culprits, and after interrogating them, we will soon arrest other involved individuals."
