Pune Police Thwart Robbery, Recover Stolen Jewellery Worth Rs 8.5 Lakh

In a significant breakthrough, Pune police arrested three suspects involved in the robbery of two elderly sisters, recovering all the stolen gold ornaments worth Rs 8.5 lakh. The incident occurred on September 7, and the trio was apprehended on September 14.

The two elderly sisters, aged 76 and 72, from Andheri, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, respectively, were offered a lift by the three men while waiting for a bus at Wakad. The women had planned to travel to Khopoli to meet their brother. They lodged a complaint with the Hinjewadi police on September 11.

Senior police inspector Arvind Pawar led the crime branch team that traced the trio to Ravet. The suspects were identified as Abasaheb Madane (35) from Dehu Road, Kailas Tonape (32) from Dighi, and Vaibhat Suryatal (30) from Ravet. The entire jewellery was recovered, and Madane's car used in the crime was seized.

Madane, a real estate agent, faces a case of cheating registered with the Pune Rural police. Suryatal, who previously worked in an IT company, has been unemployed for the last few months. Tonape runs a small construction-related business. Pawar said, “The three friends needed money and robbed the women on spotting an opportunity.”

The incident unfolded in the first week of September when the two women went to Indapur to meet another sister. On September 7, they took a bus from Indapur to Swargate and another to reach Khopoli. The conductor requested them to alight at Wakad and take another bus at 2:30 pm, as his vehicle was going via the Pune-Mumbai expressway.

While waiting for the bus, the trio noticed the women and offered them a lift in their car. The men drove the women around for two hours before taking them to the Katraj tunnel. They used a knife to threaten the elderly women and snatched their gold jewellery worth Rs 8.5 lakh. The trio then left the women inside the tunnel and fled.

The women managed to walk out of the tunnel and were told they were in Katraj. A car driver dropped them to a bus stop, and they took a bus to Khopoli. The women told the police that the trio was in a red sedan. The police checked all red cars near the crime scene on September 7 and found that the registration number of one car was fake.

The police reviewed footage from over 100 CCTV cameras and received a tip-off that led to the arrest of the trio. They were handed over to the Hinjewadi police for further investigation.

This case highlights the importance of public vigilance and the efficiency of law enforcement in swiftly resolving crimes, ensuring the safety and security of citizens.