NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Unit-3, conducting a parallel probe into a robbery at a tea stall in Barwai village, Panvel taluka, arrested a 19-year-old accused within four hours of the FIR being registered.
The accused, identified as Mangesh Desai Kale alias Rahul Kanta Raj Pawar (19) of Indapur, Pune district, was traced to his residence with the help of Indapur police.
Crime Branch officials recovered the weapons allegedly used in the crime and the victim’s mobile phone. The robbed gold ornaments and Rs 4,000 cash are yet to be recovered. Pawar has been remanded in police custody by the Panvel taluka police.
Senior inspector Audumbar Patil said four men on two motorcycles arrived at the tea stall of 42-year-old Meen Katkari around 2.30pm on September 24. After ordering tea, one of them gagged Katkari while the others held her hands and threatened her with a knife and sickle.
They allegedly snatched her gold mangalsutra, mobile phone and Rs 4,000 cash, collectively worth Rs 76,000, before locking her inside the stall and fleeing.
During remand, Pawar allegedly disclosed the identities of his three absconding aides: Rohit Desai Pawar (21), Shaida Ganesh Kale (22) and Akash Kale (21).
Patil said a similar robbery case involving house trespass is registered against the accused and his aides at Shahapur police station in Kolhapur district. The gang allegedly robbed farmer Vithal Gaikwad (56) and his wife while they were asleep, taking gold and silver ornaments and Rs 25,000 cash worth Rs 1.95 lakh. Pawar has allegedly confessed to the crime.
