In a significant breakthrough, the Crime Branch unit of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city police has successfully apprehended six individuals who had been evading arrest for years in connection with a sophisticated ATM cash-loading fraud amounting to Rs 1.17 crore. The arrests, made on Thursday, bring a long-pending case from 2022 closer to resolution.
The Fraudulent Scheme Unraveled
The case originated from a complaint lodged by Ramesh Rayabhan Sathe (40), a resident of Indraprastha Market in CIDCO. According to police investigations, the fraud was meticulously executed over a period of more than a year, between February 5, 2021, and March 5, 2022. The accused were either employees or associates of a private firm contracted to replenish cash in ATMs of various banks.
Instead of fulfilling their duty, the suspects allegedly colluded to misappropriate the funds meant for ATM vaults. This systematic diversion caused a total loss of Rs 1.17 crore to the contracting firm. Following the complaint, a formal case was registered at the CIDCO police station on March 5, 2022, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including:
- IPC 420 (Cheating)
- IPC 409 (Criminal Breach of Trust)
- IPC 468 (Forgery)
- IPC 34 (Acts done with Common Intention)
However, all the accused fled immediately after the case was filed, remaining untraceable for several years until the recent police operation.
The Coordinated Police Operation
The breakthrough came on December 4, 2025, when a special team from the Crime Branch, led by Police Sub-Inspector Navnath Patwadkar, was conducting a widespread search operation. Acting on a crucial tip-off from an informant, the team, which included constables Siddharth Thorat, Shailesh Askar, Yashwant Gobade, Amol Mugal, Santosh Choure, and Sanjivani Shinde, swung into action.
Officers laid a strategic trap in the Bhavsingpura area, leading to the detention of the first three suspects: Amit Vishwanath Gangawane (35), Anil Ashok Kamble (35), and Yogesh Punjaram Kajalkar (37), all residents of Bhavsingpura.
The fourth accused, Sachin Eknath Randhe (32) of Rajnagar, Harsul, was apprehended near Ganesh Medical on Jatwada Road after a brief chase. Subsequently, with assistance from informers, the police picked up Siddhant Ramakant Hivrale (27) of Osmanpura from Gopal Tea Chowk. The final suspect, Sanjay Bhalchandra Jadhav (44) of Bajajnagar, was located through technical surveillance and arrested from a cloth shop at Mohata Devi Chowk.
Commitment to Curbing Economic Crimes
Commenting on the successful operation, Commissioner of Police Pravin Pawar stated that the team employed a mix of technical intelligence and human sources to track down the fugitives. "Our team systematically used technical and human intelligence to track the suspects who had evaded arrest for years. This action reinforces our commitment to ensuring economic offenders face justice," Pawar said.
Echoing this sentiment, Crime Branch Inspector Gajanan Kalyankar highlighted the persistent efforts behind the arrests. "We tracked their movements using surveillance inputs and discreet field verification. With all six now in custody, we expect to uncover more evidence related to the financial trail," Kalyankar added.
Following their arrest, all six accused were medically examined and formally handed over to the CIDCO police station for further investigation and necessary custodial procedures. The police are now focused on tracing the complete financial trail of the misappropriated funds, which may lead to further revelations in this complex case of financial breach of trust.
