The Pimpri Chinchwad police have arrested a 40-year-old software engineer and seized from him a shotgun, 19 shells and a Kukri knife after he barged into a bank manager’s house in Pimple Gurav posing as a delivery man and attacked his two sons. Police said the techie, who hails from Manipur and was facing financial woes after losing his job last year, wanted to rob the bank manager whom he had met earlier.
An FIR was registered at Sangvi police station against Sangboi Kom Serto (40), who hails from Moirang area of Manipur and has been living in Pune for more than 12 years working as a software engineer. The FIR has been registered by the 31-year-old son of the bank manager, who works as an analyst with an investment bank in Pune. The incident took place on July 31 and the FIR was registered on August 1.
An officer from Sangvi police station said, “The accused has been staying in Pune since 2012 and was working with a private firm. He lost his job in August last year. As he had purchased a house, he was facing financial issues related to repayment of debt. Investigation has revealed he knew the manager of the bank as he used to visit the bank. He decided to rob the bank manager for money. He followed the bank manager for some time and checked where he lives. On July 31, he went to the manager’s house posed as a delivery executive.”
“The bank manager, who is in his late 50s, was not at home. His wife and two sons were at home. As one of the sons opened the door, the accused said he was there to deliver a parcel for his father. He asked for his father’s identity proof. As the son went inside, the accused barged into the house, took out the shotgun from the bag he was carrying and threatened the manager’s son to give all the valuables and money in the house,” the officer said.
“As the bank manager’s son raised alarm, his other son also came out. As the two brothers tried to stop the accused, he hit them with the butt of the shotgun — one brother on the foot and another on the face. During the fight, the two brothers managed to take away the shotgun after which the accused took out the Kukri. But the brothers managed to overpower him and called the police. The brothers and their neighbour brought him to the police station after which he was arrested. We recovered from him the shotgun, 19 shells, the Kukri knife and a contraption of pipes he had made using pieces of plastic pipes to make them look like grenades. It did not have any explosive material. The probe has revealed he has a permit issued in Manipur for the shotgun.”
Police have booked Serto under provision of the Arms Act and BNS sections 309 (6) which pertains to causing hurt during robbery, 312 (Attempt to commit robbery or dacoity when armed with deadly weapon) and 333 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint).