Nagpur: In a swift and coordinated operation, the Crime Branch Unit No. 5 arrested two youths in the Sadar area for possessing a deadly weapon with the alleged intent to commit a crime, officials said.

On February 4, around 1:40 PM, the crime branch team was patrolling near Bakht Bulandshah Gond Raje Chowk, close to the Bata showroom, when they spotted two suspicious individuals. As officers approached, the duo attempted to flee but were quickly apprehended.

The suspects were identified as:

• Samir alias Yash Nishan Gaikwad (19), resident of Christian Colony, Jaripatka
• Prajwal alias Mari Mahadev Meshram (19), resident of Khushi Nagar, Jaripatka

During a search, police recovered a steel knife worth about ₹1,000, which was seized on the spot. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were allegedly carrying the weapon with the intention of committing a cognizable offence and had violated prohibitory orders in force.

Based on the findings, Sadar Police registered a case under Sections 4 and 25 of the Arms Act, along with Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act. Both accused have been arrested and handed over for further investigation.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of Addl. CP (Crime) Vasant Pardeshi, DCP (Detection) Rahul Makanikar, and ACP (Crime Branch) Abhijit Patil, with active participation from officers and staff of Crime Branch Unit No. 5 led by PI Vinayak Golhe.

Police are continuing the investigation to determine if the accused are linked to other criminal activities.