Nagpur: The police investigation into the audacious robbery of Rs 4.38 crore cash, orchestrated by a gang of seven desperadoes who wielded firearms during the heist, has yet to yield significant progress. The incident unfolded near Kotewara village, in close proximity to Nagpur, where the criminals targeted a Tata Nexon SUV. As authorities grapple with the complexity of the case, the perpetrators remain at large, leaving the citizens on edge and the police forces determined to unravel the mystery surrounding this daring crime.
The incident had taken place on the Outer Ring Road in the Hingna Police Station area two days ago. Cops are trying to trace the Toyota Innova SUV and a Swift Dzire car by checking the footage of CCTV cameras installed at different places. Prima facie, the cash was allegedly of some ‘hawala’ dealings and was being transported by Rupesh alias Kalpesh Juluji Parmar and Jayesh alias Jaideep Patel to Surat in Gujarat.
Initial investigation revealed that the cash belonged to Popatlal Patel, a resident of Surat, Gujarat, and proprietor of Aadi Travels with its office located at Ambedkar Square in the city. Patel’s employees Rupesh alias Kalpesh Juluji Parmar and Jayesh Patel were entrusted to transport the cash to Surat in a Tata Nexon SUV (MP-09/ZK-0541) on Tuesday. In the night, Rupesh and Jayesh collected the cash from Ritika Apartments, Shastri Nagar and kept it in the car. They then started the journey. They crossed Wardha Road on Outer Ring Road and were en route to Samruddhi Expressway.
As the desperadoes already had information that Rupesh alias Kalpesh and Jayesh were carrying the cash, they were waiting on the roadside in their Toyota Innova and Maruti Swift Dzire. As the Tata Nexon SUV passed, both the vehicles accelerated. One of the vehicles blocked Tata Nexon from the front while the other blocked it from behind. Seven criminals came out. They broke the windshield of the Tata Nexon from the driver’s side. At gunpoint, they asked Kalpesh and Jayesh to come out of the vehicle, then asked them about the cash. As they did not reveal anything, the robbers thrashed them. They snatched four cell phones from them and bundled them into the Toyota Innova and Swift Dzire and took them near Kotewara.
One of the robbers took control of Tata Nexon driving it to the designated location. The culprits removed the cash from the dickey of Tata Nexon and the car battery. They stashed Rs 4,38,23,000 cash and the battery in their vehicles and fled the scene. Surprisingly, Rupesh alias Kalpesh Parmar reported the incident to Hingna Police the next day at 8.30 am.
On the basis of the complaint lodged by him, Hingna Police registered a case under Sections 397,342,294,506(2), 427 of the Indian Penal Code, read with Sections 3, 4, 25 of the Arms Act and Sections 135, 37 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
Rupesh alias Kalpesh Parmar (42) is a native of Ladol, taluka Vijapur, district Mehsana, Gujarat. He was staying at Ritika Apartment, Shastri Nagar in Nagpur.
Meanwhile, media reports said that the cash was of one Kamlesh Shah of Mumbai. He had allegedly kept the cash with his friend Popatlal Patel to purchase a property. As the property deal could not materialise, he asked Popatlal to send the cash, added the reports. Reports also said that the needle of suspicion points directly towards some insiders at Popatlal Patel’s office.
