Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
In two back-to-back violent incidents on the Beed Bypass–Daulatabad stretch on the night of June 18, unidentified gangs looted three individuals, including a Pune-based design contractor and two local residents. The MIDC Cidco police have registered both cases and suspect a gang operation targeting isolated vehicles and commuters on Thrusday.
In the first incident, which occurred between 11.30 pm and 3 am, Ajit Jadhav (33), a design contractor from Pune, was robbed while parked near Daulatabad Road. He had halted his Maruti Ertiga car (MH-42-AX-6091) to urinate when three men approached, assaulted him, and threatened him with a knife and pistol. They looted valuables worth Rs 5.99 lakh, including a gold earring worth Rs 8,000, cash of Rs 69,000 (Rs 35,000 in hand, Rs 34,000 withdrawn from ATMs), Samsung Galaxy A7 phone, smartwatch, headphones and his Maruti Ertiga car worth Rs 5 lakh. Jadhav sustained a minor injury to his ear and was also stabbed before the trio fled with the vehicle.
Just hours earlier, around 10.30 pm near Black Horse Hotel, Mahesh Narwade (34) and his friend Sharad Wayal were ambushed by five men on two motorcycles while heading from Deolai Chowk to Jhalta Phata. The accused rammed into their motorcycle, hit Narwade on the forehead with a stone, and under knife threat, looted two mobile phones worth Rs 35,000, Rs 10,000 in cash and a biometric machine worth Rs 7,000, a black sling bag worth Rs 500. Both robberies occurred on the same stretch, raising concerns about targeted attacks during nighttime.
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Police appeal for caution
Speaking to Lokmat Times, a senior police official said, “Preliminary investigation suggests a gang is targeting travellers on the Beed Bypass at night. We urge citizens not to stop at isolated or dark spots after dark. Patrols are being intensified, and efforts are on to trace the culprits using CCTV footage and mobile surveillance.”