Three threaten, assault grocer, rob him of Rs 2 lakh

Pune: Three unidentified men allegedly robbed a 34-year-old grocer of Rs 1.90 lakh on Tuesday evening after threatening and assaulting him on the Pune–Mumbai highway near Dehu Road.The incident occurred around 5.45pm when the victim, a resident of Hadapsar, was driving towards Khalumbre village in Maval taluka to purchase goods from a wholesale trader. According to police, the grocer routinely buys stock from the wholesaler every month and was carrying Rs 1.90 lakh in cash for the transaction.
The grocer approached the Dehu Road police and lodged a complaint. The police have registered a case under sections 309 (robbery) and 126 (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).An officer from Dehu Road police station said that three men on a scooter, which had no registration number plate, intercepted the victim's car along the highway and forced him to stop. "One of the accused, who had covered his face with a mask, allegedly entered the vehicle and attempted to snatch the bag containing the cash. When the grocer tried to resist him, the other two men joined him. The trio then assaulted the victim with their hands and legs before fleeing with the cash-filled bag," the officer said.Police said the complainant has provided descriptions of the suspects, and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend them. "We are searching for them," he said.