Pune: On December 31st, as the entire city of Pune was engaged in welcoming the New Year, a few workers, working in the jewellery shop in Ravivar Peth, were targeting the shop in which they were working, making away with jewellery worth crores and a substantial amount of cash. The incident occurred between 8 p.m. on December 31, 2023, and 10 a.m. on January 1, 2024. Deepak Mane, the plaintiff, filed a complaint with the Faraskhana police.
The daring heist saw the theft of gold jewellery valued at Rs 3 crore, 32 lakh, 9 thousand, and 228, weighing 5 kg, 323 grams, and cash amounting to Rs 10 lakh, 93 thousand, and 260 from the shop’s vault. The plaintiff, the owner of the shop, who had locked his shop at 8 p.m. on December 31, discovered the theft in his shop the next morning.
Swift police action resulted in the arrest of the prime suspect, Sunil Khandu Kokere, a worker at Raj Casting, and his accomplice, Siddheshwar, alias Tanaji Rajaram Khandekar. Anil Garle, Sunil Kokere’s mother, Rajshree Khandu Kokere, and Anil Khandu Kokere’s brother, Navnath Khandu Kokere, were also arrested in connection with the heist.
Investigations revealed that Sunil Kokere had falsely claimed to be out of town due to his grandmother’s demise, but technical analysis proved otherwise. The police learned that Sunil, along with Anil Garle, had left Pune for the village, prompting their arrest in Sangli.
After the detention and subsequent investigation, Sunil Kokere confessed to the crime, implicating Anil Garle and Tanaji Khandekar as his accomplices. He confessed that he, along with his accomplices, broke into the shop on December 31 with the help of duplicate keys. Accordingly, Anil Garle was apprehended by the police in Kolhapur, where he had fled. The investigation teams recovered stolen goods from the accused, leading them to Sunil Kokere’s house in Karandewadi.
Sunil admitted to hiding the stolen gold and cash in elephant grass near his house. The police recovered 2 kg, 983 g, 5 mg of gold, and Rs 7 lakh, 73 thousand, and 70 in cash from the farm. Further searches at the accused’s native village revealed more hidden gold and cash, leading to the arrest of Sunil Kokere’s mother and brother.
In total, the police seized 3 kg, 480 g, 5 mg of gold, and Rs 9 lakh, 73 thousand 70 in cash, successfully concluding the investigation. Assistant Police Inspector Vaibhav Gaikwad is overseeing further inquiries into the case.
