Pune: A casual conversation overheard at a Market Yard eatery in early Sept spiralled into a high-stakes robbery plot that left two young relatives and an accomplice flush with cash. Police reviewed over 350 hours of CCTV footage and arrested two of the suspects on Oct 27.Bottled-water businessman Yash Pravin Sonawane (24) of Manjari and his 19-year-old relative, a second-year BCom student from Mundhwa, allegedly turned to crime after overhearing two men discussing hawala cash transactions at the eatery. Convinced they had found a shortcut to wealth, the pair began tracking cash movements and identifying potential targets.They even roped in a friend from Kolhapur for their nefarious plans. “While sitting at an eatery in Market Yard and chatting, Sonawane and the student overheard two men discussing hawala transactions. Later, they studied the area and gathered information about cash transactions involving hawala. On Sept 23, they followed a businessman from Market Yard to his residence in Salisbury Park. The businessman was carrying over Rs 3 lakh in cash, but they failed to rob him,” senior inspector Yashwant Nikam told TOI.“Later, they struck in broad daylight in the Market Yard area on Oct 9, snatched a bag containing Rs 30 lakh and managed to flee. They soon realised that the businessman had not lodged a complaint,” the officer said.The newfound fortune was spent as quickly as it arrived. After dividing the loot, one accused allegedly bought a premium cellphone worth Rs 1.5 lakh for his girlfriend. “The others splurged on a car and a motorcycle. The trio then headed to Goa, where they allegedly spent more than Rs 2.5 lakh on a lavish getaway,” Nikam said.Their spending spree, however, proved short-lived. Investigators from Market Yard police, led by senior inspector Nikam, assistant inspector Swapnil Shelke and sub-inspector Balu Shirsat, traced the suspects through analysis of surveillance footage.Deputy commissioner of police (Zone II) Milind Mohite said, “The case was solved by the police by studying over 350 hours of CCTV footage and by tracking their movements in the reverse direction.”After arresting Sonawane and the student, police recovered property worth around Rs 24 lakh from them. The whereabouts of the third suspect, Sonawane’s classmate, remain unknown, police said.
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