The initial investigation into the attack on a Nashik family near Bhavali Dam has revealed that the group of local youths allegedly intended to rob the tourists of cash and valuables, Igatpuri police said on Wednesday.
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Ghanshyam Balap, inspector, Igatpuri Police Station, said, “They managed to snatch a gold chain and a mobile phone from two members of the family. Our apprehension is that they also wanted to take away the cash and other valuables the family was carrying. We will interrogate the accused further to gather more details about the incident.”
The nine accused arrested on Tuesday were produced before a local court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody till July 18. Police are searching for three more suspects who are absconding.
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The incident took place on Sunday when the family of eight from Nashik city visited the scenic dam in Igatpuri for an outing. The trip turned into a nightmare after around a dozen local youths allegedly chased their SUV for nearly 20 km along the Mumbai-Nashik National Highway, attacking the vehicle with iron rods, batons and stones.
Although the family escaped without serious injuries, their SUV was damaged, leaving them traumatised.
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The Igatpuri Hotels and Resorts Association has urged police to strengthen security at popular tourist spots to prevent such incidents in the future. Vishal Gupta, a senior office-bearer of the association, said attacks on tourists could harm Igatpuri’s reputation and adversely impact the hill station’s hospitality industry.
“We will soon meet the inspector of Igatpuri police station to discuss the issue. A negative image of Igatpuri will hurt the tourism industry and the more than 100 hotels and resorts operating here,” Gupta said.
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According to Balap, the accused are aged between 20 and 30 years. Some of them had previously worked as delivery agents for an e-commerce company, while others operated small food and tea stalls near the dam frequented by tourists.
Call for tighter security
