Pune: A gang of auto-rickshaw drivers, involved in robbing passengers after picking them up from Swargate, has been apprehended by Swargate Police. The arrests come after the police scrutinized footage from 100 to 150 CCTV cameras and employed advanced technical analysis to trace the suspects.

The three arrested individuals are Rohit Subhash Chavan (23), an auto-rickshaw driver from Ganganagar, Phursungi, Hadapsar; Mayur alias Sanket Prakash Chavan (19) from Mantarwadi, Dehu Uruli; and Sudarshan Shivaji Kamble (22) from MHADA Colony, Warje Malwadi.

All three are habitual offenders with multiple serious cases filed against them in various police stations, including Sinhagad Road, Bund Garden, Bibwewadi, Bharati Vidyapeeth, and Swargate.

According to the police, the incident occurred on August 27, when the complainant, a young man, boarded an auto-rickshaw from the PMPML bus stand in Swargate around 9:30 PM.

After traveling a short distance, the rickshaw driver pretended to need the complainant’s mobile phone to make a call. Once in possession of the phone, the driver diverted the route, taking the victim towards Lullanagar.

At a secluded location near the Parvati Industries bus stop, the driver, along with his accomplices, forcibly robbed the victim of ₹500 in cash, a silver chain, and his mobile phone.

The gang also coerced the victim into revealing his mobile password, using which they extorted an additional ₹4,000 online. After this, they abandoned the victim and fled.

In the investigation that followed, the police faced difficulties as the crime had occurred late at night, and the CCTV footage provided limited clues. However, using technical analysis, they eventually traced Rohit Chavan to his home.

Upon his arrest, along with the auto-rickshaw used in the crime, Chavan confessed to the offense and revealed the involvement of his two accomplices, who were later arrested. The police recovered stolen items, including the rickshaw, amounting to ₹80,000.