Auto driver held for stealing cash from elderly passenger

According to the police, the 87-year-old who had come to the bus stand from Jamkhed was looking for transport to Alandi when Idrees Rafique Sheikh, 36, from Bavdhan offered to drop him at the place in his auto.

Pune: The Pune police on Friday arrested a 36-year-old autorickshaw driver for allegedly stealing cash from an elderly passenger’s luggage under the pretext of helping him alight from the vehicle at the Wakdewadi bus stand on Thursday.

Auto driver held for stealing cash from elderly passenger

According to the police, the 87-year-old who had come to the bus stand from Jamkhed was looking for transport to Alandi when Idrees Rafique Sheikh, 36, from Bavdhan offered to drop him at the place in his auto. The senior citizen boarded the auto that already had passengers. Soon, an argument broke out between passengers and the auto driver and someone stole ₹87,000 from the victim’s bag before the accused also left him at the place.

Acting on a tip-off, Unit 4 team of the Pune police laid a trap at Wakdewadi Bus Stand and caught the driver of autorickshaw (MH-12-BC-4107). Police said the accused hails from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh and was involved in two similar crimes reported from the area two days ago. He confessed to the crime committed along with two accomplices and ₹24,500 in cash was recovered from his possession. The auto was also seized and efforts are on to nab the other accused involved in the case.

Vikramsing Kadam, senior inspector, Khadki Police Station, said, “The victim is a ‘kirtankar’ (devotional performer) and was on his way to Alandi when the incident was reported.”