Pune: Three arrested within eight hours of armed robbery at 60-year-old woman’s home

Pune Police arrested three men within eight hours of an alleged armed robbery at a 60-year-old woman’s home in Talawade, recovering valuables worth Rs 57.87 lakh. Pic via Archana Dahiwal

Pune's Chikhali Police arrested three men within eight hours of an alleged armed robbery at the home of a 60-year-old woman in Jyotibanagar, Talawade, and recovered valuables worth Rs 57.87 lakh, police said.

Woman tied up, threatened with knife

The robbery allegedly took place between 1 am and 1.15 am while the victim, Bharati Maruti Bhalekar, was asleep. According to Senior Police Inspector Ranjit Jadhav, the accused allegedly broke open the door to her hall, tied her hands and legs, covered her face with a sari and assaulted her. They also allegedly threatened her with a knife before fleeing with gold jewellery, cash and other valuables.

"The stolen property included gold ornaments, Rs 5 lakh in cash, silver anklets, a mobile phone and a wristwatch," Jadhav told mid-day.

Police examine footage from 70 CCTV cameras

Following the incident, beat marshals were immediately dispatched to the spot, while four police teams were formed to investigate the case, Jadhav said.

The police examined footage from more than 70 CCTV cameras and pursued leads gathered during the investigation. Acting on confidential information received by Police Inspector Amol Phadtare, the crime detection team traced and arrested the three suspects within eight hours of the robbery.

Three accused identified, valuables recovered

The accused have been identified as Anarullah Mazharullah Chaudhary, 36, a resident of Chikhali; Abdul Rahim Majid Momin, 39, from Charkop in Mumbai; and Samiullah Azmatullah Khan, 32, from Shilphata. Police said the accused confessed to their involvement during questioning.

The police recovered gold ornaments weighing approximately 73 tolas, three pairs of silver anklets, a motorcycle allegedly used in the crime and weapons. The total value of the recovered property was estimated at Rs 57,87,400.

The operation was carried out by the Chikhali police investigation and crime detection teams under the supervision of senior Pimpri-Chinchwad police officials, including Senior Police Inspector Ranjit Jadhav and Police Inspector Amol Phadtare.

Further investigation and legal proceedings are underway.