Pune, 23 September 2025: Pune witnessed a major anti-encroachment drive on Monday as the Pune Police and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) jointly removed illegal stalls, tin sheds, and unauthorized flex boards in Nana Peth, an area long influenced by gangster Bandu Andekar. A heavy police force was deployed to maintain order during the operation.

The action comes after the recent crackdown on Andekar and his gang, who are accused of extorting lakhs of rupees from local traders. Investigations revealed that his associates had illegally set up stalls and encroachments in areas like Sant Kabir Chowk and the fish market, creating traffic bottlenecks and public inconvenience.

PMC officials had earlier been accused of delaying action despite being aware of these illegal structures. Departments including the Bhawani Peth regional office, encroachment division, and construction department had refrained from acting due to the gang’s fearsome reputation.

The crackdown follows the murder of Ayush Komkar, for which Andekar and 20 gang members were arrested earlier this month. After the killing of former corporator Vanraj Andekar last year, several unauthorized boards and iron plaques glorifying the Andekar family were installed in the locality. These too were removed in Monday’s operation.

While such drives are normally accompanied by an official briefing, PMC officers avoided sharing full details of this action. Assistant Commissioner Kisan Dagadkhair confirmed that the operation took place but claimed complete information was not yet available.