Gunpoint robbery planned by ex-staffer who had knowledge of the outlet’s safe.
The police’s hunch that an insider could have robbed the KFC outlet in Wakad on the outskirts of Pune the other day came true as a rural police team on Thursday arrested three men, including a former employee, for hatching and executing the plan.
Satish Jadhav (20), Lalit Kakade (21) and Niket Sinh (20) were stopped by the cops in Dehu Road for overspeeding and riding triple seat. Police found a country-made revolver, an air gun and INR 6,220 in cash from them. They were taken into custody after they failed to offer an explanation for carrying firearms.
Inspector Ram Jadhav of the local crime branch told TOI that during interrogation they confessed to robbing the KFC outlet at Jagtap Chowk in Wakad. “Satish, Lalit and Niket are friends. Satish quit KFC around six months ago. He had knowledge of the safe. He accompanied them to the outlet around 02:00 hrs and waited outside while the two others got the money,” said Jadhav.
Satish hails from Ahmednagar while Lalit and Niket are from Kiwale village. They have been handed over to the Wakad police station.
“We questioned 40 employees of the restaurant and showed them CCTV footage of the suspects, but none of them could identify them. We will interrogate the three men arrested,” said senior inspector N.J. Shaikh, Wakad police station.
The KFC outlet closes for customers at 23:00 hrs. Around 02:00 hrs on Tuesday, three men on a motorcycle reached the place, but the security guard told them it was closed. One of the suspects waited outside while two others convinced the guard to let them in so that they can check if it was still offering food.
The shop was open but for cleaning. The two suspects walked straight to the safe. One of them pulled out a revolver, which the cops have been claiming was fake, and threatened the cashier, Vitthal Mahadik, robbing him of INR 70,542. The robbers ran out and escaped in the direction of Nashik Road. The employees raised an alarm, but the robbers had vanished before the guard could react.
This is the second robbery at the US fast food major’s outlet in the city this year. On May 2, a man targeted the M G Road shop. The unidentified man threatened the manager at knifepoint and decamped with INR 1.58 lakh cash after tying his hands and legs with shoelaces. The case remains unsolved.
