Pune city police foiled an alleged robbery bid in Erandwane by arresting five men who were allegedly preparing to commit a robbery on Monday evening. Police recovered five sickles, two knives and other material worth ₹60,960 from them.

During the raid, police seized five sickles, two knives, two matchboxes, two lighters, a red cloth strip, red chilli powder and three mobile phones. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The accused have been identified as Ritesh Chippa, 25, Vikas Lambor, 19, Pratik Kamble, 19, Pratik Kadam, 23, and Sujal More, 19. Two others allegedly involved in the plan escaped.

According to police, the accused had gathered on the upper floor of a building near Achanak Mitra Mandal in Erandwane around 6.50 pm on September 21. During the raid, police seized five sickles, two knives, two matchboxes, two lighters, a red cloth strip, red chilli powder and three mobile phones.

Police sub-inspector Yogesh More of Deccan police station said, “We received information about a group of men gathered in the locality and carrying deadly weapons. Accordingly, we raided the area and arrested them. Some of them have previous criminal records, and further interrogation is going on.”

The accused were produced in court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody for two days, More said. A case has been registered at Deccan police station under Section 310(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act and Section 4(25) of the Arms Act.

Police are searching for the two suspects who escaped and investigating whether the group had identified a specific target.