Constable hitches ride on a bike to nab robbers

After a scintillating chase in the wee hours yesterday, a constable from Oshiwara police station managed to nab two robbers who hadu00a0kidnapped, looted and stabbed the employee of a video game parlour in Lokhandwala.

All in a day's work: While both constables Bangade and Borude (left) gave chase on the bike, the latter dismounted when the victim was pushed out of the rickshaw by the thugs, and rushed him to hospital

The constable, Dayanand Bangade, was posted as a beat marshal along with another constable, Shriram Borude, at the Lokhandwala circle early yesterday. At 2.20 am, the two heard screams for help emanating from an auto rickshaw, that soon zoomed past them. The rickshaw was moving in the direction of Lokhandwala market.

As soon as he heard the cries, Bangade flung into action. "The two constables signalled a passing motorcycle rider to stop. They got onto the bike and asked the rider to follow the rickshaw. When the robbers saw the constables following them, they threw the victim out of the rickshaw
and started to flee," said Dilip Rupwate, senior police inspector of Oshiwara police station.

Seeing the injured man on the road, Borude got off to rush the injured man to Kokilaben hospital, while Bangade continued to chase the accused.

When the rickshaw reached Rajput Dairy at Lokhandwala market, the driver lost control and crashed into the divider, causing the vehicle to turn turtle.

Bangade jumped off the bike and leapt towards the rickshaw. He managed to nab the driver, and one of the accused. The third accused fled.
According to the police, the victim, identified as Sachin Choudhary, is in a critical condition.

He had downed the shutters of the video game parlour and was walking towards his house as he spoke on the phone, when a rickshaw stopped next to him.

One of the occupants asked him what time it was, and then pulled him inside the rickshaw. They then asked him to empty his pockets and grabbed Rs 2,200 and his mobile phone. The two then stabbed Choudhary in his stomach, chest and head.

Seeing Bangade, they pushed him out of the rickshaw. Two of the accused - identified as Ratyilal Yadav (23) and driver Nagesh Bind (32) - were arrested from the spot by Bangade, while the third accused, Govind Yadav (19), was arrested later in the day.

The arrested accused, who are electricians and residents of Prem Nagar in Goregaon (West), have been arrested under Section 397 of the IPC for dacoity, robbery using deadly weapon and attempt to cause death or grievous hurt.

The three have been remanded in police custody till December 16.u00a0