Pimpri-Chinchwad police arrest two within 8 hours for Rs 50 lakh theft from car in Punawale
Police recovered the entire Rs 50 lakh stolen from a car opened with a duplicate key; one accused had travelled with the complainant to fetch the money.
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Pimpri-Chinchwad police have taken two accused into custody in just eight hours in the case of Rs 50 lakh in cash stolen from a car. The entire stolen amount of Rs 50 lakh has also been recovered. The action was carried out jointly by Crime Branch Unit-2, the Anti-Property Squad and Ravet police.
According to police, on October 9, 2026, between around 10.50 pm and 12.15 am, a car was parked on the cement service road in front of Sandeep Hotel in Punawale. During this time, the car's doors were opened with a duplicate key and a bag containing Rs 50 lakh in cash was stolen from inside. A case was registered at Ravet police station.
Given the seriousness of the incident, Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey ordered the Crime Branch and Ravet police to investigate immediately and solve the case. Separate teams were then formed under the guidance of senior officers.
Police inspected the spot and went through CCTV footage from the surrounding area. The footage showed a man opening the car with a duplicate key and taking away the bag with Rs 50 lakh. Further investigation turned suspicion on Charudatta Shivaji Bendale, one of two men who had gone to Mumbai with the complainant to bring the money.
When Bendale was taken into custody and questioned, the investigation revealed that he had given a duplicate key of the car to his friend. He had told the friend that Rs 50 lakh was kept in the car and asked him to steal it.
Police have taken into custody and arrested Prasad Shivaji Bankar (29, supervisor, resident of Chimbli, Khed taluka, Pune district) and Charudatta Shivaji Bendale (30, construction business, resident of Nighoje, Khed taluka, Pune district) in the case. The entire stolen cash of Rs 50 lakh has been recovered from the two.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey, Joint Police Commissioner Dr Shashikant Mahavarkar, Additional Police Commissioners Sarang Awad and Basavaraj Teli, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rohidas Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Pradeep Jadhav, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sudarshan Rathod and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Wakad division) Sunil Kunhade.
Police officers and staff, including Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Sawant of Crime Branch Unit-2, Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Chavan of the Anti-Property Squad and Senior Police Inspector Rishikesh Ghadge of Ravet police station, took part in the operation. Technical analysis wing also assisted in the investigation.
