Police foil late-night car robbery

Lokmat News NetworkChhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A gang of five attempted to rob customers by breaking car windows outside a bar in the Palm Hotel parking lot on Saturday.

Police apprehended three members of a gang attempting to rob customers outside Palm Restaurant on Saturday at 11.30 pm. The suspects have been identified as Vishal Balkrishna Bharasakle (21), Vinod Maroti Pattekar (29) and Hrutik Ravasahab Nikale (22). They were caught red-handed breaking car windows in the Palm Hotel parking lot. Two of their accomplices managed to escape. The incident unfolded when MIDC Cidco police officers Satish Phuse and Prabhusingh Jagarwal were on patrol. A motorcyclist alerted them that goons had thrown stones at him and were attempting to rob others. The officers quickly rushed to the scene, where they discovered the gang in action. While the police were able to apprehend the three suspects, their accomplices, identified as Akash alias Big Show and Tikya Dehade, fled the area. The gang had already broken the window of a car belonging to Vijay Borhade (MH-20-CS-1854), but due to the timely police response, the thieves did not succeed in stealing any valuables.

The accused were armed with tools for breaking car windows, knives, and chilli powder and had collected stones. This incident raises concerns about public safety, as similar thefts had occurred in the parking lot before. Police noted that smart city cameras and streetlights in the area frequently malfunction.