There has been an increase in the number of thefts reported along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Notedly, a simple hunger halt on a busy Mumbai-Pune Expressway turned out to be a rude awakening for a Thane based couple.
They lost Gold Jewellery worth ₹7 lakh amidst a brief halt at a Mumbai–Pune Expressway`s Grand Ocean Cube.
The Thane couple Poonam Ahuja and her husband Mandeep Singh Khurana lost gold ornaments worth around ₹7 lakh amidst a halt on the expressway. “On February 7, they were returning to Mumbai after attending a wedding in Pune. They checked out of the hotel around 3 pm. At about 4.15 pm, they stopped at Grand Ocean Cube on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and left their bags inside the car and went in to eat. The halt lasted for about an hour.
Poonam further reveals, that after reaching home, she realised that a gold bangle and a gold ring were missing from her bag. They immediately contacted the driver, who denied taking anything. No immediate FIR was registered. They then decided to visit the location themselves
She and her husband met the mall administrative officer, Srinivas Ursekar, who assisted us in accessing the CCTV footage. Visuals showed the driver moving to the back seat, where their bags were kept, and spending several minutes inside the parked car while they were away. Their complaint was eventually recorded at Khopoli Police Station, but no FIR was registered.
Adding that on February 10, she reached out to their local unit of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Thane and presented the CCTV footage to party member Vinayak Bitla. who reviewed the footage and initiated immediate action. By 6:30 PM, the driver was brought to the MNS office in Thane, where her gold kadda was returned. The following day, Bitla personally visited a jeweller in Baner where the driver had allegedly sold her ring. It was recovered and handed back to her the ring had been crudely cut at the back. Later, mall owner Prashant Joshi informed her that this was the second reported theft incident at the establishment in the past three months. What was meant to be a simple hunger halt on a busy expressway turned out to be a sobering lesson. sometimes, the briefest stop can carry the heaviest cost.
The police advise travellers on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway not to leave valuables unattended in cabs or buses while stopping for refreshments at highway food malls/courts.
According to Police Inspector Sachin Hire of Khopoli police station theft of valuables is often reported on the expressway, especially in buses, but now these are increasing in private cabs as well. In most cases, passengers leave their valuables inside the vehicle when they go for refreshments. It’s his sincere advise to travellers to always carry their valuables with them. It will help prevent such incidents.
However, as per an official spokesperson of Grand Ocean Cube they have installed CCTV cameras covering all areas of the premises. They receive frequent calls regarding thefts or missing valuables. In this case, they were informed promptly and immediately reviewed the CCTV footage from all directions. The footage was shared with the persons concerned.They also have a separate lost-and-found cell at the mall, as many visitors often forget mobile phones, purses, and even expensive valuables at the premises.
The Grand Ocean Cube, is a prominent food mall and pitstop located along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Often described as a “food court in the sky,” the location sees heavy daily traffic from travellers commuting between the two cities.
Police advisory to travellers on Mumbai-Pune Expressway:
*Avoid carrying expensive valuables amid travelling
*Do not leave jewellery, cash or other valuables inside buses or cabs when stepping out
*Do not hand over purses or bags to unknown persons while using public facilities
News Edit KV Raman
