Serial car thief wanted for over 100 vehicle theft cases held after two years on run

Pune Police Crime Branch Unit Two has arrested a serial thief with more than 100 vehicle theft cases registered against him across Pune city, Pune rural, Satara and Ahilyanagar over the past thirty years. The man had been wanted by police and absconding for two years before he was finally traced and detained from the Donje Phata area.

The arrested man has been identified as Raju Baburao Javalkar, 60, a resident of Flat No. 408 in Riddhisiddhi Apartment in the Donje Phata area. The action was carried out by Assistant Police Inspector Tejashri Pawar and her team under the guidance of Senior Inspector Rahul Khilare.

The Crime Branch is running a special drive to trace wanted and absconding accused in order to curb serious crime in Pune city. During this drive, on September 8, police constable Shivanand Kaygude of Crime Branch Unit Two received a tip-off that Javalkar, wanted in a case registered at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station, was moving around the Donje Phata area.

Kaygude immediately passed on the information to Senior Police Inspector Rahul Khilare, who without delay directed the team to take swift legal action. Officers and personnel of Unit Two then laid a trap in the Donje area and arrested Javalkar.

Javalkar has a case, Crime No. 848/2024, registered against him at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station, in which action has been taken under Sections 303(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He had been listed as a wanted accused on police records for the past two years. Following his arrest, he was handed over to Bharati Vidyapeeth police station for further action.

According to police, Javalkar is a habitual, record-listed car thief with more than 100 vehicle theft cases registered against him at various places over the past thirty years, including in Pune city, Pune rural, Satara and Ahilyanagar.