The Panvel Taluka police have arrested two people for robbing an autorickshaw driver of 10 tola gold, ₹8,300 in cash and one mobile phone and locking him inside their rented flat in Panvel. The accused, identified as Mehboob Ayub Sayyed (44) and Sarfaraz alias Sohail Mansoor Ali Shaikh (36), were arrested from Borivali and Malegaon respectively.

Senior police inspector Ashok Rajput said Mr. Shaikh had rented the flat a month ago. Mr. Rajput said, “His intention was to stay there for a short period and make some quick money by robbing someone.

Police sub-inspector Vijay Khedkar said that the accused noticed that Ashirwad Dattatrey Mhatre (28), an auto driver, wore many gold ornaments. Mr. Shaikh befriended him and noted down his mobile number. Mr. Shaikh would then call Mr. Mhatre whenever he needed a ride. On May 1, Mr. Shaikh called Mr. Mhatre and asked him to drop him at the market. That evening, he called Mr. Mhatre again and asked him to come home to have biryani and then drop him and Mr. Sayyed at Panvel station. When Mr. Mhatre reached their apartment, the duo assaulted him, robbed and tied him to a chair. They locked him in the flat and left.

The police said that Mr. Mhatre managed to drag himself to the door and started calling out for help. Hearing his cries, several neighbours broke open the lock and rescued him. “Mr. Mhatre was locked inside for three hours before he was rescued,” Mr. Khedkar said. Mr. Mhatre then filed a complaint with the Panvel Taluka police and they traced the accused using their cell phone location. The police said that Mr. Shaikh is wanted in several house break-in cases, while Mr. Sayyed is wanted in a murder case registered by the Junagad police. “We have recovered the gold the accused had sold in Gujarat. They have been remanded in police custody till May 27,” he said. The accused were arrested under Sections 394 (voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.