Lonavala doctor Bungalow raided by 22 armed robbers

Lonavala: In a shocking midnight robbery in Lonavala, a renowned doctor and his wife were allegedly assaulted and robbed by a group of over 22 armed, unidentified intruders at their bungalow in the early hours of Tuesday.

Dr Hiralal Jagannath Khandelwal, a senior physician, and his wife, Vijaya Khandelwal, were fast asleep at their Om Shree Bungalow in Pradhan Park when the gang broke in around 2:51 AM. The attackers, armed with swords, kukris, and wooden sticks, stormed into the bedroom, tied the couple's hands and feet, gagged them, and threatened to kill them if they raised an alarm.

Before reaching the doctor’s room, the gang overpowered the bungalow’s watchman, Ambadas Ramdas Raybone, and his wife Varsha. They were also assaulted with sticks, tied up, their mouths gagged and threatened with a kurki. The robbers broke in by damaging the iron gate, the main door grill, and the bedroom lock.

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According to a latest media report by HT, the gang ransacked the bungalow and stole valuables, including gold, silver, diamond jewellery, and cash worth over Rs 11.5 lakh.

This is not the first time the Khandelwals have been targeted. It is the fourth attempted robbery at their home in the last four years. Two attempts were successful, including the latest one. In the 2021 case, police managed to arrest the culprits and recover the stolen items.

One of Dr Khandelwal’s relatives contacted the police. When the police arrived, the gang allegedly fled in front of them. Locals alleged that the police failed to act immediately. However, Senior Police Inspector Suhas Jagtap of Lonavala City Police Station denied any delay.

“This is not true. Our team reached the spot within 10 minutes, but by then the suspects had started fleeing. We gave chase, but they scattered into a dense forest area, taking advantage of the darkness,” said Inspector Jagtap.

An FIR has now been registered based on a complaint by Dr Khandelwal’s nephew, Tarun Khandelwal. The case has been registered under BNS sections 310(2), 311, 331(6), 351(3), 127 and Sections 4 and 25 of the Arms Act.

The investigation, led by Inspector Jagtap, is currently focused on examining CCTV footage and collecting forensic evidence to identify and apprehend the suspects.

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