Pune: Mundhwa Police have arrested two individuals for allegedly luring a young man via the Grindr app, taking him to an isolated location, and robbing him of his gold chain.

The accused, identified as Karan alias Bapu Vishal Lacharkar (23, resident of Tadiwala Road) and Manish Baban Nimbalkar (21, resident of Manjari; originally from Ralegan Mhasoba, Ahilyanagar district), were apprehended within 24 hours of the complaint being filed.

According to police, the victim had connected with a user named Bapu on Grindr, a popular social networking app for the LGBTQ+ community. Under the guise of a friendly meet-up, Bapu invited the victim to Magarpatta and later took him on a two-wheeler to an isolated open space near Lakshmi Lawns at night, where an accomplice was already waiting.

The two accused then threatened to kill the victim and forcefully snatched his gold chain before fleeing the scene. The incident took place on January 23 at around 9 PM, but the victim, fearing social stigma, did not immediately approach the police. However, he filed a complaint two days ago, prompting a swift police investigation.

Police Constable Vinod Salunke obtained crucial information about the prime suspect Karan Lacharkar, leading to his arrest. Upon interrogation, Lacharkar confessed to the crime and revealed the involvement of Manish Nimbalkar, who was subsequently arrested. Assistant Police Inspector Raju Mahanor is leading the investigation.