Doctor robbed with family on Samruddhi expressway, left traumatised

The men got out and began brutally assaulting Dr Shingane and threatening his family. They forcibly removed the car key. Chaitali pleaded with the robbers to stop attacking her husband and assured them they would hand over whatever possessions they wanted

Dr Shravan Shingane, the Palghar-based doctor, who was robbed by a gang of four unknown men while returning home with his family from Buldhana on the Samruddhi Mahamarg on May 2, told mid-day that his family and he are finding it hard to recover from the traumatic encounter.

The partially open 701-kilometre Samruddhi Mahamarg, which connects Mumbai and Nagpur, has been welcomed by motorists for drastically cutting short the travel time between the two cities. However, incomplete construction work and an alleged lack of patrolling have turned the expressway into a hotspot for robberies.

An injured Dr Shravan Shingane (left) the Shinganes' car, which was damaged in pursuit of the robbers. Pics/By special arrangement

Recounting his harrowing experience, Dr Shingane, who runs the Sai Clinic in Boisar, told mid-day, "I save lives and treat the injured for a living. When these robbers attacked my family and me, I felt completely helpless."

The incident occurred near Karmad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. According to Dr Shingane, a white car without a number plate overtook them and abruptly stopped in front of their vehicle near the Nathnagar bridge. "Four men stepped out. Claiming to be insurance agents, they forcibly took my car keys and began assaulting me," he said.

Dr Shravan Shingane; his wife, Chaitali; their two-year-old son, Shriraj; and the doctor's mother-in-law, Meena Nibhore, were travelling from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Palghar via the Samruddhi Mahamarg on the night of May 2. The family was in high spirits, enjoying the drive. Illustration/Uday Mohite

"My wife then pleaded with them to stop and assured them we would hand over our valuables. They snatched gold jewellery from the women. When my wife tried to take their photo, they grabbed her phone too." Dr Shingane said he was unable to resist due to the presence of his son and elderly mother-in-law. "They took everything away from us in front of my eyes, and I couldn't lay a finger on them," he said.

Later, after the men got into their car, in a desperate attempt to stop the robbers, Dr Shingane rammed his vehicle into theirs from behind. The assailants, however, emerged and threatened to kill the family if they dared to follow them. The Shinganes eventually reached a toll plaza and informed the Chikalthana police, who registered an FIR.

Around 10 pm, a white car without a number plate overtook the Shinganes' vehicle and abruptly stopped in front of them at a dark spot. The family could see that there were four individuals inside

"This highway is becoming increasingly dangerous," Dr Shingane alleged. "Multiple gangs are active here. There are many unauthorised entry and exit points due to ongoing construction work. Vehicles without number plates ply freely. Several stretches are poorly lit, creating dark spots. Security agencies and local police must intensify patrolling, especially in vulnerable areas. Even food plazas are not fully operational. I hope the police trace and arrest the culprits soon. We were returning home with a smile on our lips while returning from the wedding reception, but after this encounter, my family is deeply traumatised," he added.

Inspector Ravikiran Darwade of the Chikalthana police station said, "We have registered an FIR against four unidentified persons and are working to trace the accused. The Samruddhi Mahamarg is not fully operational, and the patrolling by the Special Security Group is inadequate. Several unauthorised entry and exit points remain open, and the toll plaza is still under construction. We are actively pursuing leads to identify and apprehend the suspects."

The accused snatched jewellery and cash worth R11 lakh and fled, using an unauthorised exit that is unmonitored and incomplete

SP Rupali Darekar of the Sambhajinagar Highway Police said, "We patrol the highway 24x7. Emergency contact boards are installed every 200 to 500 metres along the highway for the safety of commuters. If we receive a call, our team reaches the spot within 10 minutes to assist. However, in this case, we did not receive any call from the victim, Dr Shingane, after the incident. He contacted the 112 police helpline, which connected him to the city police."

She added, "We suspect two or three entry and exit points are still under construction, known only to locals, which the suspects might have used to escape. CCTV cameras are installed across the highway. We believe the accused removed their vehicle's number plate after entering the highway and reattached it after the incident, enabling them to exit undetected. The city police are facing challenges in identifying the vehicle, and we are also working to trace the car. Our team patrols the expressway regularly."

What MSRDC has to say

An official from MSRDC said, "The Maharashtra State Highway police is in charge of security on the Nagpur-Igatpuri stretch of the expressway. A total of 192 Maharashtra Security Force guards and 16 patrolling vehicles have been given to the Maharashtra State Highway police by the MSRDC for the operational stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg."