Mumbai: Panvel Taluka Police have successfully arrested five members of a gang responsible for assaulting and robbing a truck driver on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
The incident occurred on September 9 when truck driver Gendlal Patel stopped near the Palaspe police checkpoint for a break. A group of 7 to 8 robbers confronted him, threatened him with knives, and brutally attacked him. They stole two mobile phones and ₹23,000 in cash before fleeing.
The attack, which occurred around 9:30 PM, led to the registration of a case of armed robbery at the Panvel Taluka Police Station. Under the supervision of senior police officials, a special investigation team was formed to track down the culprits.
Despite the absence of any eyewitnesses, the police relied on technical surveillance and confidential information to identify the gang members.
The investigation took a breakthrough when officers traced one of the stolen mobile phones to Nimbodewadi village in Khalapur. A team of officers, led by Crime Inspector Jagdish Shelkar, Assistant Police Inspector Anuruddh Gije, and Sub-Inspector Harshal Rajput, launched a two-day operation in disguise to locate the suspects.
Their efforts paid off, and five members of the gang were apprehended in a pre-planned raid. The arrested individuals are Rohan alias Guddu Naik (24), Rohidas Pawar (23), Atesh Waghmare (26), Manish Waghmare (35), and Shankar Waghmare (18).
All five arrested suspects have been remanded to police custody until September 20 by the court. However, three other members of the gang remain at large, and the police are intensifying their efforts to bring them to justice.
During the investigation, it was revealed that a total of eight people were involved in the robbery. The arrested gang members have been charged with robbery, and one of them, Rohan alias Guddu Naik, is a known criminal with a history of involvement in similar cases in the Panvel and Khalapur regions.
The Panvel Taluka Police have confiscated five mobile phones and cash amounting to ₹50,000 from the suspects. The search for the remaining accused continues as the authorities aim to dismantle the entire gang responsible for a series of highway robberies.
