Special Correspondent
Pune: In a shocking incident on Saturday (July 12), a Delhi-based businessman who had traveled to the holy site of Bhimashankar for darshan was robbed at knifepoint by a rickshaw driver inside the forest area near the temple. A case has been registered against the unidentified rickshaw driver at Bundgarden Police Station, and a manhunt is currently underway.
The complaint was lodged by Surendra Chandra Chauhan (69), a businessman from the Badarpur area in South Delhi. According to the police, Chauhan had arrived in Pune by train on Saturday morning for work. After reaching Pune Railway Station around 9 a.m., he expressed his desire to visit Bhimashankar—one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Outside the parcel office at the station, a rickshaw driver approached him and agreed to take him to Bhimashankar for a pre-negotiated fare, citing the long distance involved.
The rickshaw left Pune around 9:15 a.m. and reached Bhimashankar around 1 p.m. After completing the darshan, they began their return journey around 4 p.m. However, while traveling through the forest area near Bhimashankar, the rickshaw driver suddenly pulled over and, under the pretext of a brief stop, threatened the businessman with a knife. He warned the victim that he would be killed if he resisted and forced him to transfer ₹4,500 online. Additionally, he looted ₹15,000 in cash from his pocket, robbing him of a total of ₹19,500. After the robbery, the driver abandoned Chauhan in the jungle and fled the scene.
A terrified Chauhan managed to seek help from a group of devotees passing by. He returned to Pune and lodged a formal complaint with Bundgarden Police Station. Following the complaint, Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Gaikwad visited the railway station parcel office area where the rickshaw driver had first approached the victim. CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed, and efforts are underway to identify and arrest the absconding accused. The investigation is currently being led by PSI Chavan.
