PUNE: There was a face-off between a team of the Pune police Crime Branch which was carrying out a combing operation and 8-10 dacoits in Warje, when nakabandi was in force throughout the city. The dacoits tried to fire at the police and threw a sickle at the police and a policeman was injured. The police also fired at the dacoits in retaliation and arrested five fleeing dacoits. The dacoits were preparing to loot an ATM of SBI. The incident took place at Mhada colony near a school in Warje at 1am. Policeman Katte was injured.
The city police had enforced a naka bandi in the city. Under the guidance of CP Ritesh Kumar, Joint CP Sandeep Karnik, Addl CP Ramnath Pokle and DCP Amol Zende, ACP Sunil Tambe, PI Shirhari Bahirat, PSI Pawar and their colleagues were doing a combing operation in Mhada colony in Warje. They found the movements of 8-10 people suspicious and the police tried to approach them. One of them took out a pistol and tried to fire at the police.
The police also fired and during the scuffle, one of the accused threw a sickle at the police. Policeman Katte was injured. The police managed to arrest five accused. The others escaped taking advantage of darkness. The police have seized a country made pistol, four live cartridges, sickles, screw driver and a hammer from them.
The dacoits were preparing to loot the ATM of SBI. The dacoits are hardcore criminals and many FIRs are registered against them. The process of registering an FIR is underway at the Warje Malwadi police station.
