Deserter from CRPF arrested for stealing motorcycles; 19 bikes recovered

Pune: Pune Rural police have arrested a 23-year-old CRPF personnel who deserted the force and allegedly took to stealing motorcycles.The police recovered 19 stolen motorcycles worth Rs30 lakh from the accused, Samadhan Kale (23), of Phaltan in Satara district. A local crime branch team led by inspector Pramod Kshirsagar traced and arrested Kale with the help of CCTV footage. Additional superintendent of police (Pune Rural) Ganesh Biradar said, “Kale was working in the technical wing of the CRPF. However, he deserted the force about a month ago. He used to travel to Baramati from Phaltan on his scooter and steal motorcycles.”The officer said Kale used to target motorcycles of a particular make and those bearing specific registration numbers during the night. “While riding away on the stolen motorcycles, he used to affix logos of the state police, state forest department and MSRTC to avoid attracting police attention,” the officer said.Biradar said Kale had kept the stolen motorcycles in a godown in Phaltan. “Kale has previous theft cases registered against him with the Satara police,” Biradar said.