Nagpur: The police have arrested four persons in connection with a case involving robbery wherein Rs 32 lakh were looted from 82-year-old Suresh Potdukhe in Sonegaon area. Two of their accomplices are still at large.
The accused have been identified as Vinayak Mundafale (54), a resident of Dighori; Vinod Sontakke (49) of Mahal; Niger Ronald alias Sanitiser of Jat Tarodi, Imamwada; and Shubham Manke (27) of Rambagh.
Sonegaon police produced the accused in the court and obtained their police custody remand (PCR) till April 15. Two accused involved in the case are still absconding, police said
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05 May 2025
According to a report in local English daily, Potdukhe had helped his driver Vinayak Mundafale and his friend Vinod Sontakke several times in the past, but that did not stop them from planning an armed robbery at his residence at Indraprastha Housing Society last week. They had also drawn a map for the burglars to follow after entering the house.
The burglars had decamped with valuables worth Rs 32 lakh, including cash Rs25 lakh, from Potdukhe’s residence after stabbing him repeatedly. Potdukhe had been staying alone as his wife had gone to his daughter’s place for treatment.
Mundafale and Sontakke were arrested along with Laizer Lawrence alias Sanitizer and Shubham Manke by the Crime Branch, and handed over to Sonegaon police on Saturday. The four were sent to police custody remand for seven days, said Sonegaon police station senior inspector Baliram Singh Pardesi.
Potdukhe met Mundafale after seeing his advertisement in a newspaper seeking financial help to save his ailing son. Potdukhe had not only offered financial help to Mundafale, then a stranger for him, for his son’s treatment but also engaged him as his driver. Mundafale had introduced Sontakke to Potdukhe as his friend. Sontakke too had started taking monetary assistance from Potdukhe to settle his bank loans and other debts. He had borrowed around Rs 4 lakh in all from Potdukhe over different occasions.
Despite receiving these favours, Mundafale and Sontakke had plotted the robbery and shared the house map with one Pawan Atram, now on the run, to execute the robbery. After conducting a recce and visiting the place on numerous occasions, Mundafale and Sontakke had drawn the entry and exit routes, positions of the CCTVs, rooms, position and place of the almirahs, vaults and other details.
The cops, who checked CCTVs and cell phone tower locations and call details, had spotted some suspects on scooters riding triple seat, and another three on a bike. While the gang on the bike turned out to be linked to Mundafale and Sontakke, the other three on scooters were apparently involved in other thefts in the vicinity, and are still being trace
