Pune police arrest MP man, 63, for drugging and robbing passengers on MSRTC buses

Swargate police in Pune have arrested Babu Bhurekhan, 63, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, on the allegation that he drugged passengers travelling on Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses by mixing sedative tablets in their food and stole their valuables. Police describe him as an interstate habitual offender.

According to police, the accused is from Runija village in Sitamau tehsil of Mandsaur district, Madhya Pradesh. CCTV footage, technical analysis and information from informants helped trace him.

Police recovered a gold bar worth Rs 1.40 lakh and 30 Alprax tablets from him. Police say passengers were rendered unconscious with these tablets. The arrest has also solved three similar cases in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Police said the case dates to August 20. The complainant's father was travelling that day on a Shivshahi bus from Borivali to Swargate in Pune. On the way, a man dressed in a safari suit approached him and introduced himself as "Sanjay Agrawal".

Police said the man deliberately struck up a conversation and won the passenger's trust. He then allegedly gave the passenger a sedative. Police said that when the passenger lost consciousness, the accused removed a gold ring of about 10 grams from his finger and fled.

On receiving the complaint, Swargate police registered a case and began work to identify the suspect. The investigation team, under Senior Police Inspector Yashwant Nikam, went through the bus's CCTV footage and used technical analysis to trace the accused's movements.

Information from informants led investigators to establish that the man who called himself Sanjay Agrawal was in fact Babu Bhurekhan, who has a criminal record in Madhya Pradesh. A Swargate police team then travelled to Madhya Pradesh and took him into custody from Mahakal police station in Ujjain. He was brought to Pune for further investigation into the robbery here.

According to police, during interrogation the accused admitted involvement in similar robberies in the Ramtek area of Nagpur district and the Dwarka area of Gujarat. Investigators said the method was the same each time: befriend passengers on the journey, give them sedative tablets in food, and steal their gold jewellery once they passed out.

Police recovered two packets of 15 tablets each, 30 in all, and also seized the gold bar worth Rs 1.40 lakh. Police are now checking whether the accused's name figures in more such offences.

The action was taken under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police Rajesh Bansode, Deputy Commissioner of Police Milind Mohite and Assistant Commissioner of Police Gajanan Pawar. Senior Police Inspector Yashwant Nikam and Police Inspectors Vikas Bharmal and Pradeepsinh Sisode supervised the operation.

The investigation team included Assistant Police Inspector Swapnil Shelke, Sub-Inspector Balu Shirsat, and constables Pradeep Shinde, Kiran Raghatwan, Nitin Kshirsagar, Ramesh Chavan, Akshay Bhoge, Yuvraj Rathod, Somnath Batule, Kiran Dhapkar and Rohit Pawar.

Inspector Nikam said, "This case shows how dangerous criminals who exploit the trust of fellow passengers on long journeys can be."

Police Inspector Vikas Bharmal said, "We believe the accused gained access to unsuspecting passengers through a false identity and friendly conversation, and then targeted their valuables." Police have advised passengers not to accept food, drinks or medicines from strangers while travelling.

The accused is currently in police custody, and investigators are examining his alleged criminal activity across state borders.