Cops chase & nab highway robbers

PUNE: Hinjewadi police cracked a highway robbery case before it was even registered in the wee hours of Saturday on the KatrajDehu road bypass. The three suspects had carried out the robbery using a car, and were about to flee when police intercepted them. Senior inspector Arun Waykar of Hinjewadi police station said that the trio used to roam the highway in the car and offer a lift to stranded persons.They would then rob them of their valuables by threatening to kill them.
Atarlal Mehra (23) of Bavdhan, a hotel employee, lost his cellphone worth Rs17,000 to this ploy. He enlisted the help of a passerby on a motorcycle, who in turn alerted the police.
The night patrol team, which included Waykar, spotted the car at Wakad, gave chase, and caught the suspects.
It is suspected that the trio, identified as Bharat Madhukar Bangude (30) of Warje, Kaluram Chagan Waze (36) of Maval and Ganesh Kisan Sawant (30) of Urse, are involved in many other highway robberies. The trio has been remanded to the police custody till November 21.