2 weeks Ago By Gitesh Shelke
1 2 Pune: A 38-year-old assistant with a chartered accountancy (CA) firm in Pimpri, who befriended a man on a dating app, was assaulted and robbed by the latter and his three accomplices at Pune RTO Chowk around 6pm on March 18. The victim lodged a complaint with the Faraskhana police, which forwarded it to their Bund Garden counterparts on Saturday for investigation. Senior inspector of Faraskhana police Prashant Bhasme told TOI, "Around two months ago, the victim downloaded a dating app.
A couple of weeks ago, he befriended a man, and both started chatting on the app." He added, "The victim and suspect — we believe the latter is a resident of Boat Club Road or Yerawada — decided to meet at RTO Chowk. When the victim reached the spot, the suspect and his three accomplices forced him to withdraw Rs9,500 of cash from an ATM.
They assaulted him with wooden sticks and left the spot." The police are trying to ascertain the identities of the suspects. The victim did not respond to multiple calls and a text message from TOI for comment on Sunday afternoon.
A senior officer in city police told TOI, "Such crimes are on the rise in the city. Two robbery incidents have been reported from the Sinhagad Road area and one from Mundhwa, where all the victims downloaded a dating app for LGBTQIA+ individuals. The suspects called them to isolated spots and robbed them after assaulting them.
" Additional commissioner of police (crime) Shailesh Balkawade said, "Users of dating apps must exercise caution. They should refrain from meeting people in isolated spots or during night hours. This may help to avert such crimes.
" He added, "The victims should approach the police with their complaints without any guilt or fear. On our part, we will probe such robbery cases and arrest the suspects. We will explore the possibilities of booking such suspects under stringent laws.
" On Feb 3 this year, a 24-year-old man from Vaiduwadi in Mundhwa lodged a complaint, stating that his two virtual friends had met him and robbed his gold chain worth Rs42,000 after contacting him on a dating app on Jan 23. Later, the police arrested the duo from Hadapsar. More recently, on March 16, the Pimpri Chinchwad police arrested two students and booked four others for blackmailing and abetting a BSC student's suicide, later uncovering a dating app angle to the crime.
The student had jumped to death at Sant Tukaramnagar Metro station on Feb 24. It was found that the same suspects had earlier troubled another youngster from Pimpri Chinchwad. However, the police had neglected the earlier complaint.
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