The police are searching for a gang that robbed a businessman of ₹25,50,000 while pretending to be officials conducting an inspection on the Pune-Bengaluru highway, near the Taware Hotel flyover. The suspects are thought to have been driving a blue car, which the police have identified. Special Police IG Sunil Phulari has stated that they expect to solve the case within two days. Meanwhile, the victim, Subhash Lakshman Harane, a 50-year-old resident of Bagal Chowk, Kolhapur, was questioned for six hours by the Gandhinagar police on Wednesday.
With the upcoming assembly elections, government inspection teams and check posts are conducting random checks on suspicious vehicles. Taking advantage of this, the fake inspection team threatened Harane with legal action, seized ₹25,50,000 in cash, and took his mobile phone.
The incident was reported on Tuesday morning, causing a significant disturbance in the district. The police quickly formed teams to apprehend the impostors. They have tracked the route of the car and the direction in which the cash was taken after the robbery. IG Phulari confirmed that the suspects are likely to be arrested soon.
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Based on CCTV footage, the suspects appear to be locals, as their car was seen in the area, and they spoke to the victim in a typical Kolhapuri dialect. The police suspect that Harane may have been followed prior to the robbery.
There is also some confusion regarding the amount of money involved. Questions arise about how a businessman participating in a local fair could have ₹25 lakh on hand and the source of this money. The police are investigating these questions, including whether anyone else was involved. On Wednesday, they searched Harane's house and interrogated him for six hours. Harane also mentioned that he was robbed of money in Karnataka four years ago.