Nagpur police foil loot bid, nab robbers

NAGPUR: The dream of four youths who wanted to make big money in a flash was dashed after their robbery bid failed. In frustration, they stabbed one person before being arrested by the Wadi police on Monday. The incident occurred on Nagpur-Amravati Highway. Two of the accused are college students.
The four masked robbers tried to rob two petrol pump employees who were carrying Rs 25 lakh meant to be deposited in a bank in defence colony.The loot attempt caught the attention of a sizeable number of passers-by, especially a couple of dynamic youths. This made the robbers uneasy and they decided to leave the task undone.
An alert citizen informed the police who swung into action and nabbed Sikandar Shafi Khan alias Sheku, Kamal Wadhwani, Rahul Pamnani and Yogesh Karwade, all in their 20s. Two sharp weapons and chilli powder used in the attack, two bikes and mobile phones have been recovered from the accused. A scarf, a blood stained shirt and a cap were found in the adjoining places where the attack took place. Pamnani has several crime records at Bhandara, Kalmeshwar, Ramtek, Gittikhadan, Katol and other police stations.
Senior police inspector MM Bodkhe of Wadi police station said that the police managed to avoid a certain murder and looting of cash. "We surrounded the entire area and despatched the police team in different directions. One of the robbers (Sheku) was already in our custody. We used him to trap the others," said Bodkhe.
Praful Raut, who was riding pillion with the suitcase containing cash, sustained serious injuries after one of the robbers stabbed him several times in a bid to snatch the suitcase with cash. Shiva Bhoskar, who was riding the bike, informed his employers at Bazargaon and later, safely deposited the cash in the bank.
The accused, who trailed the petrol pump employees on their bike, intercepted them alleging that they were irked by their rash driving. One of them pulled the ignition key of their bike and threw chilli powder on Raut and Bhoskar.
The robbers then tried to snatch the suitcase with the cash but Raut clung on to it at the cost of suffering stab wounds. The miscreants tried to slip away after some citizens started raising their voice. Police said Sheku, who has criminal record, fled on foot while Wadhwani escaped on one of the bikes. Pamnani and Karwade tried to flee on a bike but it developed a technical snag. They left the bike and slipped into the adjoining jungle. They came back later to flee with the bike.
Constables Ishwar Jaiswal and Sushil Gavai were walking out of the police station when a citizen informed them about the incident. Jaiswal and Gavai rushed to the spot on a bike where they nabbed Sheku. He was brought to the police station. The bike of Pamnani and Karwade was still parked there.
After requesting a citizen to take care of the two-wheeler, the cop duo they rushed back with Sheku who is said to be the mastermind. It was learnt that Pamnani and Karwade thrashed citizens to flee with the bike.
Sub-inspectors Dinesh Jhamre and Satish Gavit along with constables Vilas Kokate, Sunil Maske, Mangesh Karde and others changed into plain clothes before rushing out in a private car and an auto-rickshaw. "We did not want to alert the miscreants. Sheku was with us. We made him act on the mobile phone to trap the others. He contacted his accomplices pretending to seek their help to flee from Wadi," said police personnel.
Karwade and Pamnani were made to wait at Pujakata in Wadi where the police arrested them.
Wadhwani's bike's fuel was over after it reached Dabha. He had taken an auto to reach Friends Colony from where he was brought to the police station. Police said that the youths bent the registration number plates to avoid getting noticed. It was also learnt that Sheku had requested Karwade to give him a ride till college but later involved him in the robbery.
A source in the police station said that there was an attempt of a similar type in the past on the same road. Police are trying to ascertain whether the same group was involved.