The Pimpri-Chichwad police arrested four men on Monday for shooting a businessman who refused to yield to their robbery attempt near the Mumbai-Pune service road in Tathawade. The businessman suffered a bullet wound on his thigh.The businessman was indentified as Hari Om Meher Singh. The incident took place on December 1, at around 11.30 pm. The police are on the lookout for two more people, who formed a gang and planned similar robberies of three other businessmen, according to the police.
Namrata Patil, deputy commissioner of police, Zone-2 of Pimpri-Chinchwad police, said, “The gang members were aware that Singh was a businessman and runs a consultancy in Pashan which helps students with admission work. They were also aware about the people who worked for him.”
According to the police officials, the men had made a fake Facebook account of a female by the name Nandini Mohol and used the picture of a south Indian actress. The gang members used this fake account to chat with Singh for the past one month. Patil, deputy commissioner of police, said, “Using Facebook chat, the gang members kept a track about Singh’s whereabouts and knew that he was in Rajasthan. Once they found out that Singh is scheduled to return by the end of November, they hatched a planned to rob him.”
According to the police, after Singh’s return to Pune, the gang continued to keep a track of his movements. On December 1, the gang started following Singh from his house near Sutarwadi bus depot in Pashan, when he left in his Hyundai i20 car to meet a friend in Punawale area of Pimri-Chinchwad. On his way to Punawale, Singh stopped his car near a restaurant called Hotel Kolhapuri located on the service road of the Mumbai-Pune highway in Tathawade. He returned to the car and sat on the driver’s seat when three men barged into the vehicle. Two sat on the rear seat while one sat on the co-driver’s seat. The men then asked Singh to take the car to an isolated spot in order to rob him.One of the men put a gun to Singh’s stomach. Singh then ran out of the car and went to the restaurant. He turned around to see if the men had left, as soon as he returned, one of the men fired a shot at Singh which went hurt his thigh.
{{/usCountry}}According to the police, after Singh’s return to Pune, the gang continued to keep a track of his movements. On December 1, the gang started following Singh from his house near Sutarwadi bus depot in Pashan, when he left in his Hyundai i20 car to meet a friend in Punawale area of Pimri-Chinchwad. On his way to Punawale, Singh stopped his car near a restaurant called Hotel Kolhapuri located on the service road of the Mumbai-Pune highway in Tathawade. He returned to the car and sat on the driver’s seat when three men barged into the vehicle. Two sat on the rear seat while one sat on the co-driver’s seat. The men then asked Singh to take the car to an isolated spot in order to rob him.One of the men put a gun to Singh’s stomach. Singh then ran out of the car and went to the restaurant. He turned around to see if the men had left, as soon as he returned, one of the men fired a shot at Singh which went hurt his thigh.
{{/usCountry}}Assistant police inspector, Tanaji Bhogam of Wakad police station who is investigating the case, said, “The assailants crossed the road and ran away. The people around the hotel called the police and took Singh to Life Point hospital. Singh later filed a first information report (FIR) against the unidentified men at the Wakad police station.”
The police said that while the two of the four arrested were found in Kothrud, the other two were found elsewhere. Among the four, one is a 25-year-old interior designer with a history of cases including an attempted murder in Kothrud, where he resides. The second person is a 25-year-old science graduate who also has a criminal record. The two others include a 20-year-old and a 24-year-old, both of whom have studied till Class 12. Pending their identification by the complainant, their identity was reserved by the police who are also looking for two others involved in the case. A case under Sections 307, 34 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 3(25) of Arms Act and Section 37(1) read with 135 of Maharashtra Police Act was registered against the men at Wakad police station.