Special Correspondent
Pune: Pune Rural Police have arrested four interstate robbers involved in the brutal assault and looting of a farmer’s family in Yavat, which resulted in the death of one family member. The accused, who were working at a local sugarcane mill, were apprehended from the Yerwada area while attempting to flee to another state.
The deceased victim has been identified as Vishwajeet Shashikant Chavan (33), a resident of Sahakarnagar, Yavat, Tal. Daund. The arrested individuals include Salman Dilshad Sheikh (28), Momin Akbar Sheikh (45), Rawatsingh Chaudhary (26), and Gulshan alias Mota Jahangir Khan (25)—all residents of Bagpat district, Uttar Pradesh.
According to police reports, the accused were employed at a nearby sugarcane mill, making jaggery. On Wednesday night around 11:30 PM, the group—Sheikh, Tomar, and Khan—forcefully entered Chavan’s house near Nilkantheshwar Temple in Yavat. They brutally assaulted him, resulting in his death, and also attacked two women and a child before fleeing with valuable items.
Hearing Chavan’s wife, Sarika, scream for help, neighbors rushed to the scene, prompting the robbers to escape towards the railway tracks. Although local residents attempted to chase them down, the accused managed to flee.
Upon receiving information, Rural Police Superintendent Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional Superintendent Ganesh Dadas, and Sub-Divisional Officer Bapurav Dadas arrived at the crime scene to initiate an investigation.
The Rural Police Crime Branch launched a parallel probe, gathering intelligence on the accused’s whereabouts. Acting on a tip-off, police learned that the gang was in the Yerwada area and planning to flee to Uttar Pradesh via a private bus.
A police team led by Local Crime Branch Inspector Avinash Shilimkar, Yavat Police Station Inspector Narayan Deshmukh, and Assistant Inspector Dattajirao Mohite, along with officers Rahul Gavade, Pravin Sapange, Suvarna Gosavi, Abhijit Sawant, Amit Sid-Patil, Kishor Wagaj, Salim Sheikh, Ishwar Jadhav, Hanumant Pasalkar, Balasaheb Karande, Sachin Ghadge, and Asif Sheikh, successfully set up a trap and arrested the accused before they could escape.
The brutal nature of the crime and the involvement of interstate criminals have raised serious concerns over security in rural areas. Police officials have assured that a thorough investigation is underway and that additional measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
