A man identified as Sagar Johri was robbed of approximately Rs 4.3 lakh in cash and a laptop in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on September 24 after a group of men intercepted his car, attacked it with stones and broke one of its windows.
Johri, who owns Johri Wine Shop, was returning home after shutting his shop for the day when the suspects began tailing him in a car and on a motorcycle. When he reached Canal Road, they blocked his vehicle and forced him to stop. A motorcycle-borne suspect got off, smashed a window, opened the car door and grabbed a bag containing the cash and laptop before escaping with his accomplices.
Police began investigating the incident and soon determined that the robbery had been planned. One of the suspects had previously worked at Johri’s shop and knew that his former employer would be carrying a substantial amount of cash because the shop was due to remain shut for several days.
The accused, Aniket Patel, had quit the shop about three months before the robbery. He was aware of the business’s sales figures and also knew Johri’s usual route and schedule.
Patel allegedly passed this information to his two associates, Bilal and Parvez Pyare Khan. The three men spent two to three days conducting surveillance, monitoring Johri’s movements and route before executing the robbery.
Following the crime, the suspects escaped towards Nagpur’s Girad area. They discarded the laptop, split the stolen cash between them and later returned to their respective homes.
As part of the investigation, police analysed CCTV footage from the area and traced the vehicle used in the robbery to Parvez Pyare Khan. He was detained and questioned, during which he disclosed the involvement of Aniket Patel and the other suspects.
The Crime Branch has arrested eight people so far in connection with the case, including two minors. Investigators are continuing to probe the possible involvement of additional suspects.
