Drug addict trio nabbed for robbing morning walkers with toy gun

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A gang of drug addicts that had been terrorizing morning walkers on the Solapur-Dhule highway using a toy gun has been busted by the Satara police.

The main accused, Raj Jhalte (24) of Kashmirnagar, Kanchanwadi, along with two minors, targeted senior citizens on early walks. Posing with a toy pistol and riding triple-seat, they robbed victims at knifepoint, including Ashok Bhadane (65) on January 18 and Hemant Puri (47) on January 12, both residents of Satara. During a patrol on June 10 in Kanchanwadi, police acted on a tip-off about youth with intoxicants and a gun. A team led by PSI Amol Kamthe, Nandkumar Bhandare, and constables detained the trio. Investigations revealed Raj, whose family runs a grocery shop, had turned to crime under the influence of drugs. He confessed to the robberies, and the stolen rings were recovered.