Nagpur: In a daring daylight theft, unidentified miscreants allegedly stole ₹5 lakh in cash from a parked car within moments in the Pipla Dakbungalow area under Khaparkheda Police Station limits on Tuesday afternoon. The entire incident was reportedly recorded on nearby CCTV cameras.
According to police information, the victims have been identified as Sampat Mulashi Sahu (52), a resident of Gulmohar Nagar, Pardi, and Atul Pandurang Kale (32), a resident of Narsala, Saoner, who works as a driver. Both are associated with a Pepsi company unit located in Heti village of Saoner taluka.
Police said the duo had withdrawn ₹5 lakh from an HDFC Bank branch in Nagpur and were travelling towards Saoner in an Omni car.
At around 3.30 pm, they halted at Shri Sai Restaurant for tea and parked the vehicle outside. Investigators said the car was allegedly left unlocked with its windows open, while the cash bag had been kept inside the vehicle.
Taking advantage of the situation, two unidentified men who were reportedly waiting nearby on a motorcycle carried out the theft. CCTV footage suggests one suspect, with his face covered, approached the parked vehicle, opened the door and removed the cash. Moments later, his accomplice arrived on the motorcycle and both escaped towards Saoner, reportedly after shutting the vehicle door.
The incident came to light when restaurant operator Akshay Patil noticed suspicious movement and alerted the victims. On checking the vehicle, they discovered that the cash had disappeared.
Following the complaint, Khaparkheda Police Inspector Harish Rumkar, along with police personnel and Crime Branch Unit-6, reached the spot and launched an investigation.
Police have collected CCTV footage from nearby locations and initiated a search operation to identify and trace the accused.
Preliminary findings indicate that the suspects may have followed the victims from the bank itself. Investigators are also questioning the driver and associated staff as part of efforts to establish the exact sequence of events.
Further investigation is underway.
