A 22-year-old rickshaw driver was seriously injured after three men allegedly attacked him with a knife near the PMPML bus stop outside the Alandi Municipal Council office on Friday morning, according to Alandi City Police. The incident took place at about 11 am in an area used by passengers travelling towards Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, as well as by women, students and pilgrims visiting the town.
Police identified the injured driver as Sagar Dattatray Bade, a resident of Annabhau Satenagar in Kate Colony near Dehu Phata. Senior Police Inspector Bhima Narke said the alleged assault followed an earlier dispute. The police are searching for the suspected main attacker, Aryan Nagorao Pandit of Kelgaon, and two other associates.
According to the police account reported by Sakal, Bade was standing near his rickshaw outside the municipal council office when Pandit and the two others approached him. The group allegedly began assaulting him, prompting Bade to run towards the entrance arch of the municipal council premises. The attackers allegedly chased him while carrying a knife and caught him near the arch, where they repeatedly stabbed him and also assaulted him with kicks and punches.
The attack occurred in front of people using the road and nearby transport facilities. Police said passengers, women, students and pilgrims were present in the area at the time. After being injured, Bade reportedly crossed the road and sought refuge at the entrance of a hotel, where he called for help. Alandi City Police reached the spot after receiving information and took him to Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital in Pimpri-Chinchwad. His condition was described as stable by the police.
The incident has raised renewed concerns about safety around the municipal council office and the adjoining cremation-ground area. Local residents have complained that groups of people with criminal tendencies regularly gather in the vicinity and that police patrolling is inadequate. These complaints are allegations made by residents and were included in the report; the police have not publicly confirmed that the area has a persistent criminal presence.
A video of the incident was reportedly recorded on a mobile phone by another rickshaw driver. Police said the footage shows the assault and could assist the investigation. A criminal case has been registered, and officers are searching for Pandit and the two other suspects. Police have also indicated that the suspects may be working as labourers, although their locations had not been confirmed in the report.
The attack places attention on the security arrangements around a public transport point that serves daily commuters as well as visitors to Alandi. The next official steps are the arrest of the accused, further investigation of the earlier dispute and examination of the available video evidence.
