Special Correspondent
Pune: Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has ordered a strict crackdown on individuals glorifying criminal activities through social media, following the arrest of four persons accused of operating Instagram accounts under the name of notorious gangster Gaja Marne. A case has been registered against 13 Instagram account holders for allegedly spreading fear and promoting criminal culture via viral reels and videos.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Akshay Nivrutti Shinde (20, Nimgaon Khalu, Shrigonda, Ahilyanagar), Siddharth Vivekanand Jadhav (19, Vitthal Temple Road, Mohammadwadi, Hadapsar), Sahil Shadull Sheikh (19, Sumba, Dhara Shiv), and Irfan Hassan Sheikh (19, Sumba, Dhara Shiv). The charges, filed by Police Officer Prashant Shinde, invoke sections *223, 353(1)(B)* of the *Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023* (India’s new penal code) alongside *sections 37(1)(2)(3)* and *135* of the *Maharashtra Police Act, 1951*, pertaining to obstruction of duty and promoting enmity.
The operation, supervised by Additional Police Commissioner Shailesh Balkawade and Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Pingale, targeted accounts glorifying Gaja Marne, a self-proclaimed “gang leader” linked to organized crime in Pune. Anti-Extortion Cell No. 2, led by Senior Inspector Vijay Kumbhar, identified 13 Instagram profiles featuring provocative content, including reels titled “King of Pune City,” “Pune’s Father,” and “King of Maharashtra.”
### Threatening Content and Viral Reels
Posts included Hindi messages such as “Here I am the king,” “Follow my rules quietly, or I’ll tear you into pieces,” and drone footage of Marne’s luxury vehicle convoy. Authorities highlighted that such content aimed to intimidate the public and glamorize criminal alliances, including ties with Mumbai-based gangs.
The arrests were executed by a team including Senior Inspector Vijay Kumbhar, Assistant Inspector Prashant Sande, Sub-Inspector Gaurav Dev, and officers Saidoba Bhojrao, Surendra Jagdale, Anil Kusalkar, Amol Ghawate, Chetan Aptej, Ajinath Yede, Dilip Gore, Chetan Chavan, Sangram Shingare, and female officers Rupali Karnavar and Asha Kolekar.
Commissioner Kumar reiterated that the police will continue monitoring social media for content threatening public order, signaling a zero-tolerance stance against the romanticization of crime.
