PUNE: Three men assaulted two truck drivers and robbed them of cash and cellphones totally worth Rs37,000 near a petrol pump adjacent to the Urse food plaza, on the Pune-Mumbai expressway, in the early hours of Monday.
One of the victims, Vinod Chedilal Gupta (41) of Baramati, later lodged a complaint with the Talegaon Dabhade police. A case has been registered under sections 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
The two drivers were sleeping in the cabins of their vehicles when the trio arrived to steal their belongings, police said. “Gupta was headed to Pune when he decided to take a break near the food court, while the other truck driver was headed to Mumbai,” inspector Sunil Pinjan of the Talegaon Dabhade police, investigating the case, told TOI.
“After parking their trucks on near the petrol pump on the shoulder lanes of the expressway, the two truck drivers fell asleep,” Pinjan said.
According to the FIR, one of the three robbers came around 3am and stole a cell phone and some cash from the Mumbai-bound truck driver’s cabin. Following this, they crossed the expressway lanes and reached Gupta’s truck,” he said.
Pinjan said, “Gupta was sleeping when one of the three robbers entered the cabin and picked up Gupta’s phone. But Gupta woke up and resisted when the suspect jumped off the cabin. Gupta too jumped out, but the trio picked up rocks and assaulted Gupta,” he said, adding, “Gupta sustained head injuries in the incident. The suspects then fled from the spot.”
Pinjan said, “Parking trucks or other four-wheelers even on the shoulder lanes is illegal. We have repeatedly asked the truck drivers not to park their trucks there, but they continue to park and sleep in the cabins. The suspects venture onto the expressway from openings at nullahs and escape via the same route.”
