Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
In a midnight operation on Monday, city police fatally shot Amol Khotkar, the prime suspect in the high-profile ₹6 crore robbery at industrialist Santosh Ladda’s Waluj residence. The encounter took place in the Wadgaon Kolhati area after Khotkar allegedly opened fire on officers and attempted to ram his vehicle into them.
Operation and deployment
The Crime Branch, operating under the direct supervision of the Commissioner of Police, had been tracking Khotkar for over 11 days. The investigation involved a large-scale deployment of more than 100 personnel across 10 teams, including seven Crime Branch units and two teams from MIDC Waluj Police Station. Five other suspects have already been taken into custody from various locations, including MIDC Waluj and Ambajogai in Beed district. All five have confessed during interrogation.
Sequence of the encounter
According to police sources, a tip-off from Yogesh Hasbe, owner of Hotel Sai Garden in Wadgaon kolhati and himself a suspect, informed authorities about Khotkar’s planned visit. At around 11.15 pm, police spotted a suspicious vehicle (MH15CY0550) near the hotel. Officers in plain clothes signaled the car to stop. Instead of complying, Amol Khotkar verbally abused the officers and allegedly attempted to run them over with the vehicle. He also fired shots, injuring a constable. Police returned fire, and Assistant Police Inspector Ravi Kiran Gachche shot Khotkar, who succumbed to his injuries. A young woman accompanying Khotkar was detained on the spot. His body was taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem.
Official Response
The Police Commissioner stated, “The accused was neutralized in a crossfire situation. We will take the other accused into custody and continue the investigation. Our efforts reflect the determination seen in the Chaitanya Tupe case.”
Details of the Accused
Those arrested include Yogesh Hasbe(31, Wadgaon Kolhati), who has 10 criminal cases registered against him, and Suresh alias Suryakant Gangane (45, Ambajogai in Beed district), who has 11 cases to his name. The other arrested individuals are Syed Azharoddin (37, Ranjangaon in Gangapur), Sohail Shaikh (22, Ambajogai), and Mahendra Vidve (38, Sajapur). Amol Khotkar, who was killed in the police encounter, has been identified as the main conspirator behind the Rs 6 crore robbery.
Background of the robbery
The robbery occurred while the Ladda family was in the United States. Six armed men scaled the compound wall and looted gold, silver, and cash valued at Rs 3.46 crore from the bungalow between 2 am and 4 am. Although the bungalow itself lacked CCTV cameras, footage from nearby houses aided the investigation. During the heist, the robbers threatened the security guard at gunpoint.
Ongoing investigation
The case is registered at MIDC Waluj Police Station and is being led by crime branch inspector Sandeep Gurme. Police continue to probe the broader network behind the robbery and have assured strict action based on the intelligence gathered.