In a disturbing late-night spree, at least 25 vehicles, including school vans, were allegedly smashed by a group of miscreants in Pune’s Dhankawadi area around 1 am on Wednesday. According to Sahakar Nagar police, the coordinated attack happened at Keshav Complex, Sarasvati Chowk, and Navnath Nagar, all within 500 metres.
The perpetrators—three bike-borne suspects—allegedly used weapons to shatter glass windows of 15 auto-rickshaws, 3 cars, 2 school vans, a tempo, and several bikes, said Senior Inspector Vitthal Pawar. CCTV footage is being analyzed to track down the culprits.
This incident adds to a worrying surge in vehicle vandalism in Pune, which has seen a rise from 35 cases in 2022 to 89 in 2024. A Crime Branch study identified key hotspots: Sahakar Nagar, Parvati, Yerawada, Hadapsar, Kondhwa, and Wanawadi. Shockingly, 52 out of 156 accused in 2024 were minors, with 95% having no prior records.
The study also showed that among adult offenders, only 25% had a criminal past, pointing to a troubling trend of first-time offenders engaging in violent acts. In response, Pune Police launched sensitisation drives and are invoking the MPDA/Goonda Act (1981) to take strict legal action.
Authorities continue to search for the Dhankawadi vandals while intensifying preventive policing across vulnerable zones.