Pune: Repeat offender attacks police with knife, shot dead in retaliation

Two Satara City Police constables were injured after a notorious criminal attacked them with a sharp weapon during an attempted arrest in Shikrapur Pune Rural following a chase on Saturday evening The area falls under the jurisdiction of Pune Rural policeThe violent assault forced one of the injured constables to open fire in selfdefence hitting the accused He was rushed to a local hospital but was declared dead on arrivalThe deceased a repeat offender had a long criminal history including dacoity burglary chainsnatching and attempted murder He was wanted in several recent cases across Satara Sangli and Pune districtsThe incidentAccording to Sandeep Singh Gill Superintendent of Police Pune Rural ldquoIn connection with Crime No 72125 under IPC Section 3042 registered at Satara City Police Station a team from the said police station was conducting a search for the accused in the jurisdiction of Shirur and Shikrapur Police Posts in Pune RuralrdquoWhile the search was underway the accused in the said crimemdashAmol Daulappa Kere resident of Zhendeshwari Paitha Asgaon Satara and Lakhan Popat Bhosale resident of Vadgaon Pusawale Sataramdashwere spotted in the Maltan Phata area of ShikrapurPolice Constable Sujit BhosaleAround 630 PM the police team chased them up to Bhujbal Nagar Maltan Phata Shikrapur in an attempt to apprehend them During the chase Lakhan Bhosale attacked Police Constable Sujit Bhosale with a knife causing injuries to his chest and hand Another constable Tushar Bhosale was also injured on his handPolice Constable Tushar BhosaleIn selfdefence the officers opened fire Lakhan Bhosale sustained serious injuries The injured accused and both police personnel were immediately taken to Surya Hospital for treatmentLater the accused was transferred to Rural Hospital Shikrapur where medical officers declared him dead His body has been sent to Sassoon Hospital Pune for postmortem examinationForensic check and investigationWhen asked if the forensic team had visited the scene and seized the service pistol used in the retaliatory firing Gill confirmed ldquoThe forensic team has inspected the crime scene and collected the service pistol for ballistic analysisrdquoWhen asked if the handwash of Constable Sujit Bhosale was collected to match carbon residue with the seized pistol the officer was unsureOn whether the investigation would now be handled by the Pune Rural Crime Branch or the State CID the SP said ldquoAs of now the case is being investigated at Shikrapur Police Station where an attempt to murder case has been registered based on the injured constablersquos complaintInvestigating officer speaksWhen contacted DG Gaikwad in charge of Shikrapur Police Station confirmed that both injured constables were stable and out of dangerAsked how many rounds were fired by police in retaliation he replied ldquoUntil the postmortem report is received I cannot comment It is under investigationrdquoOn the nature of the weapon used by the accused Gaikwad said ldquoIt was a sharp weaponrdquo and declined to elaborateAsked whether Satara police sought assistance from Shikrapur police he said ldquoNo they did notrdquoThe deceasedAccused Lakhan Bhosale 30 had a terrifying track record with 34 criminal cases registered against him over the past 15 years He was a known criminal figure across Satara Sangli and Pune districts involved in armed robbery extortion and grievous assault He had also been booked under MCOCA in a Pune dacoity case and was released from Yerwada Jail in April 2025 said Satara SP Tushar DoshiBack to crime after jailAccording to Satara Police just days after his release Bhosale resumed criminal activities along with his brotherinlaw Amar Kere 25 and several associates from a known communitylinked gang From April to August the gang targeted women in chainsnatching and armed robberies often using knivesCCTV footage from several incidents in Satara and nearby areas captured Bhosale in action In one widely circulated video from early August he was seen snatching a womans chain during her fall into a roadside pit The entire scene was caught on CCTV helping police identify himPolice track and final operationFor weeks Satara City Police had been tracking Bhosale using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs Acting on a specific tipoff a sevenmember team raided a hideout in Shikrapur on SaturdayDuring the arrest attempt Bhosale allegedly stabbed Constable Sujit Bhosale causing deep wounds to his hand and chest that required 7ndash8 stitches Another constable Santosh Bhosale also sustained injuries while dodging an attackldquoIn selfdefence Constable Sujit Bhosale fired one round from his service pistol when the accused tried to stab him againrdquo said SP Doshi The bullet struck Bhosale who was rushed to a hospital and declared deadPostmortem at Sassoon HospitalLakhanrsquos body was sent to Sassoon Hospital Pune for autopsy A case of attempt to murder has been registered based on the attack on the police officers The injured constables are receiving treatment at a private hospital in ShikrapurMeanwhile Amar Kere who was arrested at the scene is also wanted in multiple cases including an attempted murder recently reported in ShikrapurSasoon Forensic chief speakDr Vijay Jadhav Head of Forensic Medicine at Sassoon Hospital said ldquoI am currently out of the hospital If the body is brought in oncall forensic doctors will conduct the postmortemrdquoAsked about bullet wounds or entryexit points Dr Jadhav stated ldquoI cannot comment on medicolegal autopsy cases to the mediardquoSatara police speakldquoThis was a highrisk operation The accused was not just a repeat offender but a habitual and violent criminal with no regard for law Our officers acted bravely and responsibly in the face of serious dangerrdquo said SP DoshiLakhan Bhosale was wanted in at least seven fresh cases post his release and was among the most feared names in the regionrsquos criminal database This was likely the first time Satara Police had come close to apprehending him which could have helped solve multiple pending cases