Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
A 54-year-old man who had come to the city for ear surgery was robbed by an auto-rickshaw driver along with two accomplices. The victim was made to sit in the rickshaw and ₹49,000 was stolen from his pocket. The incident occurred at around 3 pm on February 2 near the Hotel Kartiki area.
The victim identified as Munjaji Shriram Patange (54) is a resident of Nirankarnagar, Bajajnagar and is employed in the private sector. He had been suffering from ear pain for the past few days and was undergoing treatment with a doctor near the Varad Ganesh Mandir area in the city. As surgery was scheduled for February 2, Patange had gone to the hospital carrying cash.
After meeting the doctor at around 2 pm, it was decided to postpone the surgery to a later date. Patange then placed the cash in a hidden pocket of his trousers and stepped out of the hospital. While walking from Savarkar Chowk towards Samarthnagar Road, an auto-rickshaw driver approached him and offered a lift, claiming he was heading towards Bajajnagar. Two accomplices of the driver were already seated in the rickshaw.
After Patange boarded the vehicle, the driver suddenly dropped him under a peepal tree near Kartiki Hotel and fled. It was then that Patange realised ₹49,000 had been stolen from his pocket. Kranti Chowk police are conducting further investigation into the case.