Pune student robbed on highway at Mankhurd

MUMBAI: A student who was travelling in a privately hired vehicle from the Mumbai international airport to Pune was robbed of his valuables at Mankhurd early on Monday by two unidentified people who allegedly took him on a ride around the city.

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The incident has raised concerns over the hiring of private vehicles from Mumbai airport. The complainant, Ravindra Chauhan, is a Pune resident and was returning from a trip to Bangkok. “The others in Chauhan’s group left for their destinations around 2.30am on Monday. Chauhan also took a private car from the airport to Pune,” said Shahji Umap, deputy commissioner of police, zone 6. Chauhan was taken for a joy-ride at different places in the city before the car reached Mankhurd on the Sion-Panvel highway around 5.30am. “It took them more than two hours to reach Mankhurd, which is usually takes 45 minutes.

The two assaulted Chauhan after which he was left on the road. They decamped with his luggage that had Rs70,000 worth foreign currency and his passport and valuables,” said Umap.

Chauhan had noted down the registration number and gave it to the police.

The probe found the number belonged to a car owned by a Bhojpuri actress. But it was later found the number was stolen and the accused used it to give the investigators a slip.

“The actor left her car in a garage in Andheri four years ago as it was beyond repair. The garage owner claims he saw the car’s number plate till Sunday morning, but it was stolen later in the day,” said Umap.