Drones Aid Crackdown on Illegal Liquor Dens in Nagpur Following the Pune hooch tragedy that claimed 15 lives, Maharashtra authorities have intensified efforts to combat illicit liquor production. Nagpur Rural and City Police have launched a coordinated operation using drone surveillance, raids, and legal action to dismantle illegal liquor networks. The crackdown, initiated after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed a CID probe into the Pune incident, has led to the seizure of significant quantities of illegal liquor and the arrest of multiple individuals involved in its production and distribution. On Saturday, Nagpur Rural Police, under Superintendent of Police Harssh A Poddar, raided a major illegal Mahua liquor unit in Ramti, Narkhed. The operation resulted in the registration of 10 cases under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, with seven individuals arrested. Authorities confiscated 465 liters of crude liquor, 410 liters of raw materials, 25 bottles of foreign liquor brands, and 13 bottles of country liquor, totaling an estimated value of Rs81,000. Operational hand kilns were destroyed on-site, and four additional individuals were booked for consuming illicit liquor. The use of drones has been central to the operation, with rural police resuming surveillance to target hidden hooch dens in dense forests and tribal areas of Hingna and surrounding talukas. A major production unit was destroyed in Chandrapur Rithi village, Hingna taluka, by the crime branch under Crime Branch Chief Ravinder Singal, Joint Commissioner Navinchandra Reddy, and Deputy Commissioner Rahul Maknikar. Searches were also conducted in Bhiwsenkhori and adjacent areas. Jt CP Reddy reported that 40 cases were registered against bootleggers and liquor-related offenses in the city on Friday.#devendra_fadnavis #navinchandra_reddy #harssh_a_poddar #ravinder_singal #rahul_maknikar
Interstate Gang Busted After 10-Day Operation in Raj-Haryana Border, 464 Laptops and Tablets Worth Rs4 Crore Recovered A key member of an interstate theft syndicate was arrested by Nagpur Rural Police in a joint operation with Rajasthan authorities, leading to the recovery of 464 laptops and tablets valued at Rs4.14 crore. The accused, 28-year-old Azharuddin alias Idris, a resident of Deeg in Rajasthan, was apprehended after a 10-day investigation. Police revealed that Idris and two accomplices had stolen a consignment of 641 laptops and tablets, along with LED diffuser accessories worth Rs6,000, on May 9. The stolen goods were being transported from Chennai to Bilaspur by the accused. The operation began when the cargo went missing within the jurisdiction of Parsheoni police station. Transport company owner Pritam Lal Singh Dhillon, a Haryana resident, lodged a complaint, prompting Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police Harssh A Poddar and additional SP Anil Mhaske to form a special team. The team included officials from the Local Crime Branch and Parsheoni police, who coordinated with Rajasthan Police to conduct searches in Nuh, Mewat, and Bharatpur along the Rajasthan-Haryana border. Investigators used technical surveillance, call detail records, mobile tower analysis, CCTV footage from Deeg, and intelligence inputs to track the suspects. Idris was arrested after the police identified his location near a dhaba on National Highway 44 at Dumri village, where the accused had diverted a container truck and transferred the stolen electronics into a car. During interrogation, Idris confessed to his involvement in the crime, naming his accomplices—driver Arshad Khan, 47, and cleaner Sajid Asluf Khan, 30, both residents of Bharatpur—as the prime suspects.#harssh_a_poddar #anil_mhaske #rajasthan_police #nagpur_rural_police #pritam_lal_singh_dhillon
Tanker thief runs out of fuel & luck, caught Nagpur: A water tanker thief found himself stranded after his stolen vehicle ran out of fuel, leading to his swift arrest by local police. The incident unfolded when Anshuman Tiwari, owner of a cement plant, reported his tanker (MH 31 CQ 7353) missing from his parking area near Mouda. The vehicle, valued at nearly Rs25 lakh, was stolen around 5pm on Monday. Police in Wadoda, under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Harssh A Poddar and Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Mhaske, launched an investigation within hours. The suspect, Tilochan Kumar (30), a labourer from Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh, had vanished from his workplace and disabled his mobile phone, raising red flags for investigators. Using technical evidence, mobile tracking, and intelligence inputs, police identified Kumar as the prime suspect. He had driven the tanker approximately 25km toward Nagpur, intending to transport it to Chhattisgarh for sale. However, the vehicle’s fuel tank was empty, and the ongoing fuel crisis in West Asia left him unable to procure diesel. Kumar abandoned the tanker near Itwari railway station, hoping to refuel later. Instead, he was apprehended by police who tracked him down. During interrogation, he confessed to the theft. The entire operation, from the initial complaint to the recovery and arrest, was completed in just four hours by the police team led by Assistant PI Manoj Gudade. Further investigations are underway to determine if Kumar had involvement in similar incidents previously. The case highlights the challenges posed by the fuel crisis, which has disrupted even illicit activities. Kumar’s attempt to exploit the situation backfired as his escape plan collapsed due to both logistical and resource limitations.#anshuman_tiwari #harssh_a_poddar #anil_mhaske #tilochan_kumar #rajnandgaon_district
