Kolhapur police have arrested three individuals and detained a juvenile in connection with the theft of Rs 1.8 crore in cash from a lorry parked at a stationery store compound in Gandhinagar, a wholesale market located on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway outskirts.
On the night of June 13, thieves broke into the compound, smashed the lorry’s window, and stole a white sack containing Rs 500 notes. The theft was reported by merchant Kailas Gorad at Gandhinagar police station.
Investigations revealed that one of the accused, Yogesh Padalkar (30), an employee of the compound owner Ramesh Vadhwani, had knowledge of the money’s location. Yogesh, along with Swayam Sawant (19) from Budhwar Peth, Samrat Sanjay Shelke (24) from Lakshtirth Vasahat, and a juvenile, were arrested by a combined team of the local crime branch and police.
Superintendent of Police Yogeshkumar Gupta confirmed the recovery of approximately 90% of the stolen cash from the accused, mostly found at Sawant’s residence. The police are tracing the remaining amount and investigating how such a large sum was kept at the site, coordinating with other agencies as needed.
