A 20-year-old youth was seriously injured after being shot by a robber during a broad daylight attempted robbery at a grocery store near Sai Chowk in Pimpri Camp on Friday afternoon. According to the reports, the accused entered the shop on the pretext of buying a cold drink and tried to snatch a gold chain from the neck of the shopkeeper. When the victim resisted, the robber fired at him. The bullet struck the youth in the thigh.
The incident took place around 1.30 p.m. outside Omkar General Stores, located next to the Ayyappa Temple. The store is owned by the Kakrani family. The injured youth has been identified as Bhavesh Kakrani, a college student and resident of the same area. He has been admitted to a private hospital in Pimple Saudagar.
At the time of the incident, Bhavesh was managing the shop alone as his mother, who usually sits there, had gone home for some work. As he handed over a cold drink to the accused, the latter suddenly tried to snatch his gold chain. When Bhavesh resisted, a scuffle broke out and the chain broke into two pieces. The accused grabbed a part of the broken chain and tried to escape. Bhavesh chased him, but the accused turned and fired a shot. Despite being shot in the thigh, Bhavesh threw a stone at the attacker. The accused then fled the scene on a two-wheeler.
A total of 10 to 12 police teams has been deployed to trace the accused. A forensic team also visited the spot, and Bhavesh underwent surgery in the evening. Multiple checkpoints have been set up across the city. The Pimpri police are in the process of registering a case under charges of attempted murder and robbery.
“The seriousness of the incident has been taken into account. We have set up checkpoints and deployed multiple teams to trace the accused,” said Dr. Shivaji Pawar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch.