3 min readMar 31, 2026 01:56 PM IST
Written by Piyush Patil
A Dombivli builder, whose Instagram reels earned him the monikers ‘Pookie Uncle’ and ‘Pookie Don’, has been arrested by the Thane Crime Branch after a cache of illegal firearms and ammunition was allegedly found inside his residence during a late-night raid.
Surendra Pandurang Patil, 55, who was arrested on Sunday, has several cases registered against him, including rape and electricity theft, and had been released on bail only a fortnight ago.
Patil, who projects himself as a local strongman on social media, has more than 3 lakh followers on Instagram, with videos of his awkward dance moves often garnering lakhs of views. Sometimes seen holding a firearm in his Instagram reels, he also flaunted the police protection he enjoyed before it was withdrawn.
On Saturday night, a Crime Branch team, acting on a tip-off, arrived at Patil’s bungalow in Dawdi Naka in Dombivli and searched his residence. An officer said that a false panel attached to a shoe rack concealed a compartment where they allegedly found seven firearms, 371 live cartridges, and 167 air gun pellets, collectively valued at around Rs 10 lakh. The police also seized two steel rods, a button knife, a sharp knife, two sickles, and a sword, along with two high-end smartphones valued at Rs 2 lakh.
The police said the firearms included five country-made pistols and revolvers, along with air guns. Some of the weapons bore engravings such as ‘Made in USA’ and ‘Special Auto’, and the quantity of ammunition suggested the cache was fully operational, officials added.
“Investigation is ongoing. We are questioning him to find out why he had so many weapons at his residence,” Amar Singh Jadhav, Thane Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said.
Story continues below this ad
Patil allegedly claimed that the firearms were meant to be used in his reels.
The police are investigating the source of the weapons. Fresh charges under the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act have been registered against Patil, officials added.
He had earlier come under scrutiny for filming a reel inside a police inspector’s cabin at the Manpada police station, where he posed with a service weapon, and faces impersonation charges in that case.
In 2023, fraudsters posing as Crime Branch officials allegedly cheated him of Rs 40 lakh while he was reportedly attempting to settle his own cases.
Piyush Patil is an intern with The Indian Express
