Navi Mumbai: Couple pretending to be in distress, rob motorists on Thane-Belapur Highway; spend loot on alcohol, cigarettes

A couple, who would pretend to be in distress and rob four-wheeler motorists at night on the Thane-Belapur highway, were arrested on Saturday.

As per reports from Hindustan Times, the accused, Sagar Patil (21) and Arpita Pawar (20), used to go around on a scooter and signal passing automobiles to stop. The car passengers would stop after seeing the woman, presuming it was an emergency.

Patil and Pawar would then steal their cash and cell phones while threatening the driver with a molestation charge.

Tushar Dyaneshwar Khebde, a transporter from Kharghar, filed a complaint with the APMC police on March 21 for robbing him of valuables worth ₹10,000.

Police team set up trap to nab the duo

The police team set up a trap and, with the help of an informant, lured the pair to a market under the guise of meeting a friend and apprehended them.

Senior police inspector Tanvir Shaikh from APMC police station said that the couples' modus operandi involved targetting any random four-wheeler or heavy vehicle and getting them to stop.

They would then pick up a fight with the motorists and the woman would start accusing the person of molesting her.

According to the authorities, Patil and Pawar were class 9 dropouts who knew one other because they lived in the same neighbourhood.

They spent the loot on cigarettes and alcohol, and when they ran out of money, they moved on to the next victim.