An assistant police inspector, a police constable and two others were arrested on Wednesday by the Pune police after they allegedly robbed Rs 96 lakh from a driver of an optometrist firm. The driver was waiting in the car with the cash after the two officials working with the firm had deboarded to freshen up at a Gandharva Residency when the four approached him and allegedly robbed him, the police said. Driver Vishal Devidas Bhende (33), a resident of Pandavnagar, had registered a complaint about the incident with the Hadapsar Police against API Giridhar Yadav, constable Ganesh More and two others. Both the policemen are attached with Hadapsar Police Station. Their accomplices have been identified as Avinash Devkar and Ravindra Mane. [related-post] According to the complaint filed by Bhende, a doctor with Wasan Eye Care was travelling in the car along with an aide and they were carrying Rs 96 lakh in cash, which included money withdrawn from the bank for Diwali bonus for employees. They stopped at Gandharva Residency in Manjari around midnight after which the two deboarded and went to the hotel to freshen up while Bhende stayed in the car with the cash. Bhende has said in the complaint that the four approached him while he was waiting near the hotel. They beat him up badly and took him to the Manjari police chowky. Later, he was brought to the Hadapsar Police Station where he was held until 4 am. Yadav, More and others then allegedly took all the cash he had and asked him to go. Once released, the driver rushed to a hospital and also called up his bosses at the Wasan Eye Care after which they approached the police. Confirming the incident, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ravindra Rasal said, “As per the complaint, an FIR was registered at Hadapsar Police Station. Immediately after that, all four were arrested.” Police are probing if the four persons were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Mohite is investigating the case further.
