Panvel Taluka Police have arrested five individuals and busted a gang targeting truck drivers on the Mumbai-Pune Highway and expressway. The gang was known for violently attacking and robbing truck drivers.
A case was filed at the Panvel Taluka Police Station after the gang robbed truck driver Gendalal Ramgarib Patel on the night of September 9. Patel had parked his vehicle near the Palspe Highway Police Outpost in Panvel, Raigad district, to take a break for nature’s call when the gang attacked him.
"They threatened Patel with death, assaulted him, dragged him across the ground, and stole two mobile phones and ₹23,000 in cash," said Anil Patil, Senior Police Inspector at Panvel Taluka Police Station.
Following Patel’s complaint, the police registered a case under sections 309(4) and 309(6) of the Bhartiya Naya Sanhita (BNS). A dedicated team, led by Senior Inspector Anil Patil, conducted a thorough investigation. Despite the lack of eyewitnesses, the police identified the suspects based on technical analysis and confidential information.
The primary suspects—Rohan alias Guddu Gopinath Naik, 24; Rohidas Suresh Pawar, 23; Atesh Rohidas Waghmare, 26; and Manish Kaluram Waghmare, 35—were apprehended in Khalapur, Raigad on September 16, 2024. Another suspect, Shankar Chander Waghmare, 18, was also arrested the same day. The search for three additional suspects is ongoing.
The arrested individuals are in police custody until September 20, 2024. The police have recovered property worth ₹48,000, including five mobile phones valued at ₹41,000 and ₹7,000 in cash. Following their arrest, section 310(2) of the BNS for dacoity has been added to the case.
According to the police, Rohan Naik is a habitual offender with prior convictions for robbery and theft in Panvel and Khalapur.
Police Appeal:
The police have urged truck drivers and other motorists using the Mumbai-Pune Express Highway to park their vehicles at the designated parking lot adjacent to the police post or at the official stop near Amethi University during nighttime travel.