Lonavala. Pune Rural Police has achieved a major success. After a long search of the police of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka, international gang leader Betab alias Shivam alias Shubham Anand Pawar has been arrested from Karnataka and brought to Lonavala. 30 -year -old Pawar is a resident of Hanuman Tekdi, Kranti Nagar, Kusgaon, Taluka Mawal, District Pune. He was absconding for serious crimes such as kidnapping, hostage, sexual exploitation and forced recovery of minor girls and women for the last two years. The police caught him from Kalburgi district of Karnataka and now the court has sent him to five days police custody.
In September 2023, the police received confidential information that the gang is active in Kantinagar and Hanuman Tekdi areas of Lonavala. The accused used to abduct minor girls and women hostage, forced them to work, assault and sexually abuse them again and again. At that time, the police arrested two gang associates Raj Siddheshwar Shinde and Dnyaneshwar Lokre. However, the chief kingpin desperate Pawar escaped.
Several serious cases have been registered against him at Lonavala city police station. In one case a woman was abducted at the tip of the knife. He was repeatedly sexually abused and robbed of his mobile phone and cash. When the police raided her house, a hostage woman was freed with two minor children tied with chains.
A total of seven cases have been registered against Pawar in various states. Pune includes four in rural areas, two in Gujarat and one in Karnataka. These include kidnapping, sexual harassment, forced recovery, besides the Poxo Act (prevention of sexual offenses against children) and serious sections of the Juvenile Justice Act. The accused was earlier released on temporary bail from Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat, but he escaped without appearing in court and committed crime in various states.
The joint team of Lonavala city police, rural police and local crime branch discovered Pawar in Kalburgi. He was arrested with the help of Malkhed police in Karnataka and handed over to Lonavala city police. The interrogation revealed two more theft cases. The police is now looking for other gang members and networks.
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