Pune: Koregaon Park Police arrested two notorious thieves shortly after their release from prison.

Abhishek Sharad Pawar (36) and Sujit Dattatray Kumbhar (36) were arrested for a series of vehicle thefts, with the police recovering two cars and five motorcycles from them, totaling ₹10.77 lakh in value.

Both suspects, who were recently released on bail from Yerawada Jail, resumed their criminal activities almost immediately. Their partnership, which began behind bars, flourished into a vehicle theft ring.

After Pawar's release on September 2, he wasted no time and stole a motorcycle from the Koregaon Park area. Pawar then contacted Kumbhar, and they conspired to steal more vehicles.

Pawar’s first post-jail theft involved stealing a police officer's motorcycle from an open area near Yerawada Jail. Further investigation revealed that they had targeted vehicles by manipulating car owners.

In one incident near Vidhan Bhavan, they convinced a car owner to hand over his keys under the pretext of helping him park his vehicle correctly. The two then fled with the car and headed toward Mumbai.

The duo’s downfall came when the stolen car crossed a toll booth, triggering an alert on the owner’s phone. Acting on this, police set up a checkpoint near Khalapur Toll Plaza, where they successfully apprehended the two suspects.

The investigation and arrest were carried out by a dedicated team led by DCP Smartana Patil and Assistant Commissioner Deepak Nikam, with Senior Inspector Runal Mulla and his team playing a key role.