8 injured as dacoits go on rampage in suburbs

PUNE, JUNE 16: A single group of dacoits struck at four different places at Yerawada and Hadapsar localities in the city during the night...

PUNE, JUNE 16: A single group of dacoits struck at four different places at Yerawada and Hadapsar localities in the city during the night intervening June 15 and 16. They injured eight people including two women seriously and fled with a collective booty of Rs 44,600 comprising cash, gold and valuables.

In a well-planned assault, the dacoits started their trail at Ghotan Odha, Lohegaon followed by Khandvenagar near Yerwada, Kharadi and finally at a sparsely populated residential locality at Magarpatta near Hadapsar.

According to police the half-pants clad dacoits, about six in number, were armed with axes, iron rods and cane sticks. The dacoites inflicted serious injuries on eight persons in their raids. Most of the injured have been admitted to Sassoon Hospital while the remaining are being treated at private hospitals.

The names of those injured by the dacoits are: Vilas Vishnubhau Khandve 35, his wife Kalpana 30, their son Nandu 14, Santosh and driver Lakshman Sharanappa Mungaliya 25 8211; all residents of Ghotan Odha, Lohegaon; Yadunath Hari Thokle 49, his wife Lakshmi 45 8211; Kalevasti, Khandvenagar, Yerwada; and Vijay Sadashiv Kodre 8211; Magarpatta, Hadapsar.

According to the descriptions given by the victims, the police said the dacoits spoke Marathi and were dark-complexioned.

The dacoits began their gruesome assault at the residence of Khandve family at Ghotan Odha, Lohegaon. According to police, given the fact that Khandve8217;s house is isolated among the scattered houses in the area, the dacoits zeroed in on it.

When the dacoits struck, Vishnubhau Khandve 70, his wife and grandson were sleeping in the house whereas his son Vilas and daughter-in-law Kalpana and other three persons were sleeping in the veranda outside the house.

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Vishnubhau awoke when their window pane broke at around 1 am past midnight. He saw the dacoits in the veranda. Meanwhile his wife and grandson also woke up. Vishnubhau and his grandson promptly armed themselves with axes and iron rods and stood near the door. Meanwhile, the dacoits tried to force entry into the house by attempting to break the door. At the same time Vishnubhau8217;s wife screamed for help as a result of which residents from neighbourhood rushed to their help.

Seeing red, the dacoits latched the door of Khandve8217;s residence from outside and fled. A watchman from a nearby building opened the doors and Vishnubhau, his wife and grandson came out of the house. The three were shocked when they found their family members lying unconscious in a pool of blood in the veranda, with signs of injuries inflicted with axes and sticks.

The police arrived at the spot in a short time and the injured were rushed to the Sassoon Hospital.

According to police, the dacoits struck again at a short distance near Kalevasti Khandvenagar, Yerwada. Here, they broke opened a house and snatched cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 2,150 from Shakila Quasam Pathan 35 after threatening to kill her.

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Next, the dacoits targeted a couple residing in the compound of Jog Company at Kharadi near Chandannagar. The dacoits forced entry into the house of Yadunath Hari Thokle and Lakshmi Thokle, while the two were asleep. The dacoits assaulted the couple with axes and iron rods and fled with ornaments and cash amounting to Rs 23,500 from Thokle8217;s residence.

Continuing their trail, the dacoits broke open the latch of Sadashiv Kodre8217;s residence at Magarpatta, near Hadapsar and robbed cash and valuables totalling Rs 19,000. The dacoits inflicted serious injuries on Kodre, the police said.

Meanwhile, senior police officials visited the spots and took stock of the situation.