Sangli trader lured to Baramati and robbed, 4 held

Pune: In a swift operation, Baramati taluka police arrested four men involved in an armed robbery within hours of the crime, after they lured a trader using a fake social media profile offering wheat at below-market rates.The accused, Ravi Mane, Shrikant Ghule, Abhishek Thombre and Atul Bholankar, all residents of Baramati, were arrested following a complaint by a 27-year-old trader from Tasgaon in Sangli district.Additional superintendent of police (Pune Rural) Ganesh Biradar said the complainant, who runs a wheat flour business, was contacted after he responded to a fake online offer. "The accused created a fake profile and called him through the platform, asking him to come to Baramati on May 4," Biradar said."The trader arrived in a mini-truck with his driver. He was directed to Pensil Chowk and then Kalyani corner, where a masked man met them and took them to a secluded spot," he said.At the location, the gang, waiting in a car, threatened the trader and his driver at gunpoint. "They assaulted them, abused them and robbed cash, gold and silver jewellery. They also threatened to kill them if they approached police," Biradar added.Acting on the complaint, a police team led by inspector Chandrashekhar Yadav launched a probe. "We showed photographs of known offenders to the trader, who identified one accused," Biradar said.Yadav said CCTV footage from a toll plaza showed the accused fleeing towards Patas. "They kept changing routes to evade detection," he said.Police alerted teams in Bhigwan, Indapur and Walchandnagar and set up nakabandi. "We intercepted their car near Bhigwan and arrested three accused. The fourth was picked up from his house," Yadav said.Police recovered stolen valuables worth Rs 8 lakh, a car and two country-made pistols, collectively valued at Rs 14 lakh.