Pune: In a late-night encounter on Law College Road, a group of sandalwood thieves attacked police officers on patrol, resulting in one officer being injured.

Constable Tambe from Deccan Police Station was wounded during the altercation, which took place around 2:30 AM on Tuesday (October 22).

While patrolling the area, Constable Tambe and his colleague noticed suspicious activity as a group of five to six thieves attempted to cut down a sandalwood tree within a nearby housing society.

When the officers approached the suspects, the thieves launched a physical attack on them. In the ensuing scuffle, Tambe suffered injuries to his hand.

Acting in self-defense, he fired two rounds from his service pistol at the assailants. The thieves, however, managed to flee under the cover of darkness.

Senior Police Inspector Girisha Nimbalkar and a team from Deccan Police Station arrived at the scene shortly after the incident. An official complaint has been registered, and the process of identifying and apprehending the culprits is underway.

The police clarified that the shots were fired in self-defense after the officers were attacked.

Sandalwood thieves had previously broken into a bungalow on Fergusson Road, threatening the homeowner by throwing stones before cutting down and stealing a sandalwood tree. Two months ago, thieves wielding weapons had threatened a female lawyer on Prabhat Road, stealing a sandalwood tree from her premises.

Sandalwood thieves targeted the premises of Navrajasthan Society on Senapati Bapat Road, where they cut down a sandalwood tree from a bungalow. The incident was reported by Nilesh Makarand Ursekar, who filed a complaint with Chatushrungi Police Station.