Mumbai, Jan 21(TNN): Accepting a lift from strangers in a car proved costly for a 26-year-old man working with a Mumbai-based event management firm. Four men travelling in the car robbed him of his cash and valuables worth Rs 34,000 on Thursday night.

After picking up Rohit Mahesh Karekar from near the Wakad bridge along Karaj-Dehu Road bypass around 7.30pm on Thursday, the suspect drove upto the Urse toll plaza at Talegaon. They threatened Karekar of dire consequences and forced him to reveal the PIN of his debit card.

“The suspects returned to Pune from Urse after dumping Karekar along the bypass at Tathawade and fled,” Ashok Gawari, sub-inspector of the Hinjewadi police, said.

Gawari told TOI that Karekar, resident of Jogeshwari in Mumbai, had come to Pune on Thursday for his friend’s birthday. After the celebrations, he went to the Wakad bridge and was waiting for a bus to Mumbai. “Around 7.30pm, a Hyundai Xcent stopped near Karekar and offered him lift to Mumbai,” Gawari said.

There were four men in the car and an unsuspecting Karekar boarded it. “ His complaint said after crossing the Urse toll plaza, the suspects threatened him with a knife and forcibly removed his silver bracelet and chain. They took his cellphone and debit card and forced him to reveal the PIN,” Gawari said.

Gawari said the suspects then turned towards Pune and dumped Karekar near a college at Tathawade along the bypass around 9.30pm. “ They used his debit card and withdrew Rs 26,000 from Karekar’s bank account,” Gawari said. He said a case of robbery has been registered against the four men.

“We are yet to find out from which automated teller machine (ATM) kiosk the suspects withdrew the money,” Gawari said, adding, “We have written to the bank. After getting the details, we will check the CCTV footage from the kiosk to ascertain the identity of the robbers.”