Pune Crime Files: Rs 65-lakh PDCC bank robbery, police encounter and MCOCA convictions

In a brazen daytime robbery on September 10, 2016, a gang of armed robbers entered the Pune District Central Co-operative (PDCC) Bank in the Rahu village, and escaped with over Rs 65 lakh in cash.

Nearly eight years after the heist, a special court in Pune convicted seven members of the syndicate, including the gang leader, his mother, and his brother. In his judgment dated September 13, 2024, Special Judge P P Jadhav noted the gang’s extensive history of violent crime, observing that the “accused deserve to be punished with proper punishment to set an example”.

According to the police, the robbers first cut the CCTV cables and damaged the siren at the PDDC Bank in Rahu village. Around 2 pm, they then attacked two security guards on duty, identified as Deepak Bhalerao and Uttam Wagh.

The police said the robbers tied up the security guards using a rope while threatening them with a knife. They then used a gas cutter to cut through the window grills, allowing them to enter the bank and steal Rs 65,57,495 from the safe. After the robbers escaped with the money, the guards freed themselves and promptly notified the police and bank authorities.

Bank manager Nikhil Manik lodged the FIR in this case at the Yavat police station of the Pune Rural police, under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 395 (dacoity), 412, 413 and 414 (handling of stolen property).

Police encounter and arrests

The police identified the mastermind behind the heist as Sachin Appa alias Appasaheb alias Bhausaheb Ethape, a 28-year-old history-sheeter from Shrigonda in the Ahilyanagar district.

On November 1, 2016, acting on a tip-off, a specialised police unit raided a safehouse in Chalisgaon within the Jalgaon district, where Ethape was hiding under the alias Shivaji Patil.

Story continues below this ad

Upon tracking him to the location, Ethape opened fire on the raiding party with a revolver. The police returned fire, wounding Ethape in the leg before neutralising and arresting him. A separate case for attempted murder was registered against him at the Chalisgaon City police station.

Following Ethape’s arrest on November 5, investigators exposed a wider ten-member criminal ring. A series of coordinated raids led to the arrest of six primary accomplices: his mother, Mangala Ethape; his brother, Satish Ithape alias Satish Patil; Ramdas alias Zingya alias Pappu Yashwant Dhage of Ahilyanagar; Prithviraj Dattatraya Mane; Maruti Shivaji Sarade of Madha in Solapur; and Priyanka Dnyaneshwar Lokare alias Deshmukh of Chalisgaon.

Investigation

The police seized bank passbooks, cheque books, and other documents from the accused. They also recovered a gas cutter, a screwdriver, and face masks that were allegedly used in the commission of crimes.

Investigations revealed that Satish and Mangala Ethape had allegedly purchased agricultural land and a plot for constructing a house using cash that was obtained from the robbery involving Sachin Ethape. The police discovered significant financial transactions made through various bank accounts belonging to Satish and Mangala Ethape, who had no legitimate source of income.

Story continues below this ad

Also, accused Priyanka is said to have acquired immovable properties with cash received from her husband, Dnyaneshwar alias Mauli Lokre, who has a history of criminal activity and is also wanted in this case, according to police reports.

Accused Sachin Ethape and Pruthviraj Mane had been implicated in six crimes each, Ramdas Dhage in four, and Maruti Sarade in seven. The authorities invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in this case. A wanted accused, Tushar Shivaji Sarade, was arrested on July 6, 2022. However, two other accused remained at large, according to the police.

Court order

During the trial, the prosecution lawyer, Chandrakiran Salvi, examined 14 witnesses, including bank security guard Bhalerao and senior police

officers.

Prosecution claimed that Sachin Ithape formed a criminal gang and committed robberies in Pune, Ahmednagar and Satara districts. Prosecution alleged that Sachin Ethape and his gang members used the robbery money for purchasing land, four-wheelers, and excavators. Some gang members opened bank accounts at various banks using fake names and forged Aadhaar cards, according to the police.

Story continues below this ad

The court convicted the accused Sachin Ithape, Ramdas Dhage, Prithviraj Mane, and Maruti Sarde under the IPC and MCOCA for involvement in the PDCC bank dacoity. They were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life and fined Rs 10 lakh each. Sarde was acquitted of all charges.

The court also convicted Satish Ethape, Mangal Ithape and Priyanka under IPC and MCOCA sections, for being active members of the gang. They were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for seven years and to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh each.

The court referred to the accused, Satish, as the “mastermind” behind the acquisition of movable and immovable properties obtained through bank robberies. This conclusion was based on the various bank accounts, ATM cards, and registered documents in his name.

As a result, the court ordered that the properties acquired by the accused with stolen funds be attached and forfeited. These assets were to be credited to the state.