PUNE: A pedestrian (37) died after a multi utility vehicle hit him in Mohammadwadi around 7.45am on Sunday, hours after a duo robbed it from a driver near Janak Baba Dargah on Pune-Ahmednagar highway.
The duo ran away abandoning the vehicle after the accident. Police impounded the four-wheeler and the ensuing probe revealed the robbery incident, which had occurred in early hours of Sunday.
The Airport and the Wanowrie police registered separate cases under sections 392 (robbery) and 304A (negligence causing death) of the IPC, respectively. A search is on for the two suspects.
Sub-inspector Ravindra Lambhate from the Wanowrie police said, “Mohanlal alias Raju Bola Pandit, a labourer, was walking to labour camp at Jharandenagar in Mohammadwadi when he was hit by the Tata Sumo. Its driver and his aide abandoned the vehicle and fled.”
Lambhate said, “Pandit succumbed to serious injuries on head, hands and legs the same day. We later got a call that the vehicle involved in the accident was robbed from Ahmednagar highway.”
Mohanlal’s brother, Rameshwar Pandit (44) from Kondhwa, registered a complaint related to the accident.
In the robbery case, sub-inspector Ravi Dhaware from the Airport police said, “MUV driver Nilesh Bhuse (34) from Markal in Khed taluka had parked his vehicle alongside the road near forest park corner to sleep. At this point, the duo on a bike asked him to take them to Ahmednagar. They picked up a quarrel with Bhuse when he refused.”
He said, “As Bhuse opened the door of his vehicle, two men on the bike threatened him with dire consequences, forced their way into the vehicle and drove away. They also snatched his cellphone.”
He said, “There were several discrepancies in Bhuse’s statement.”
