Navi Mumbai cops save the day for Pune student

The Patil family’s car with broken rear windshield

The swift action of Navi Mumbai police personnel saved the academic year of a Pune-based youngster, whose bags with passport and visa were stolen just hours before his flight to Europe. Akash Patil, 24, had stopped at Vashi for dinner with relatives when two of his bags were stolen from his car. He hardly had any hopes of flying out that night. However, officers launched an intensive search and found both his bags along with the documents within three hours.

Akash, an engineer, had quit his job at MasterCard and was heading to Ireland to pursue further studies at Trinity College when the incident happened on the evening of August 23.

An undated picture of Akash Patil and his parents

"On the way to the airport, we decided to meet our relatives in Vashi," said Purushottam Patil, his father. "We went to a restaurant in Sector 12 for dinner. We came out around 9.40 pm and found the rear windshield of our car broken and two bags missing," he added.

Akash thought this was the end of his dream, as he hardly had time to file a police complaint and almost lost hope of getting his things back, said his father.

However, on the insistence of their relatives, the Patil family dialled the police. Within a few minutes, a patrolling van arrived and swung into action.

Senior Inspector Ramesh Chavhan and Crime Inspector Pramod Toradmal asked Assistant Police Inspector Prashant Tayde to form four-five teams to search for the bag lifters. "As soon as we got the information, we alerted the main control room and asked to check all CCTV camera footage around the spot. In the meantime, Sub Inspector Yogesh Pardeshi and other constables were told to check each and every road leading to Kopar Khairane," Tayde said.

Thirty minutes later and about 2-3 km away from the incident spot, a police search party was stopped by an auto driver. He told them that while heading towards his auto, he saw that a biker and two pillion riders kept a bag in his vehicle and ran away. Police sent the pictures of the bag to Akash for verification, but it did not have his passport.

"As per the auto driver's descriptions, police started checking roads towards Kopar Khairane and less illuminated footpaths. Around 12.30 am, we got another breakthrough. A bag was found lying next to a petrol pump of Kopar Khairane and it contained passport, visa and other educational documents. But his laptop was missing," said Tayde.

"Akash needed to reach the airport before 1.30 am to board his flight," said Purushottam. "We were filing a complaint for the FIR at the police station when officers came with the bags. They said the paperwork can be done later and asked us to leave for the airport. Luckily, we reached exactly at 1.30 am," he added.

"We have no words to thank the officers who saved my son's academic year, the fees and the agony we would have suffered had my son missed that flight. It was their hard work that saved my son's academic year," he added.

Vashi police have lodged an FIR against unknown persons under Sections 379 (theft) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code. They are trying to find the stolen laptop and the accused.

9.40pm
Time Akash Patil discovered that his bags were stolen

12.30am
Time cops found the bag containing his passport, visa