2 snatch Rs 47 lakh from trader's employee in Pune

PUNE: Two scooter-borne men snatched a bag containing Rs47.26 lakh from a tobacco product wholesaler's employee at Azad Maidan Chowk in Nana Peth around 11.30am on Thursday.
Victim Mangalpuri Goswami (55) was going to a Rasta Peth bank to deposit the cash. "The duo pushed Goswami off his scooter and snatched the bag. They threatened him with a sharp weapon when he raised an alarm and drove off towards Apollo theatre," said senior inspector Ramesh Sathe of the Samarth police.
"The cash was part of trader Yogesh Agarwal's collection over the last two days. It remained in his office, 'Panna Agencies', in Nana Peth as the bank was shut on Wednesday due to Gudi Padwa," he said.
Goswami collected the cash and 14 cheques from Agarwal and set out for the bank on his two-wheeler, about 2.5km from his office, on Thursday morning. We suspect the robbers followed him right from Agarwal's agency. Goswami suffered minor abrasions to right hand and internal injury on back.
We are questioning Agarwal's three employees and others as we suspect a person privy to the details about the cash movement may have tipped off the bag snatchers," additional commissioner of police (crime) Ramnath Pokale told TOI.
He said, "CCTV footage shows the robbers driving to Nana Peth with their faces covered with sport caps, but the registration number of their vehicle is partially visible. We are working on some leads to establish their identity and analysing call records for a breakthrough."
Assistant commissioner of police (city division) Satish Govekar said the robbery occurred in a public place and there were eyewitnesses. "Goswami raised an alarm after he fell from his scooter, but he and the witnesses did not chase the duo. A Samarth police and two crime branch teams are working on leads to detect the case," he said.
Agarwal, the wholesale tobacco trader, said, "Goswami is one of my four employees working with me for 40 years now. I have no reason to suspect my employees. Goswami was alone when the two men suddenly attacked him and snatched the bag."
A case under sections 394 (armed robbery), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and the Maharashtra Police Act has been registered.
The Pune police advised people going to banks to deposit cash frequently to use different routes and vehicles, besides changing the time of visits. They advised residents to travel in a four-wheeler if the sum was high and render services of armed security guards or seek help of colleagues.