Birdwatcher robbed at Karnala Bird Sanctuary near Mumbai

Forest officials visited the area and searched the area but couldn’t find the two armed robbers. Pic/X

A man, who visited Karnala Bird Sanctuary to watch birds, was robbed of a gold chain by two unidentified armed men around 3.15 pm on Sunday. The Panvel Taluka police have registered a first information report and are investigating the matter. According to the police, the victim, who has been identified as R Yappan Harihar Subramaniam, 45, works as a financial advisor and is a resident of Chembur.

In his statement to police, Subramaniam said that at the bird sanctuary, he and his friend Ravishankar Mantha were accosted by two unidentified persons. "The men threatened the victim and his friend with a knife and a toy gun and robbed the former of a gold chain weighing 17 grams and worth Rs 1.20 lakh," said a police officer from Panvel Taluka police station.

After the incident, Subramaniam was scared and went to the nearby forest office and informed the officials present there. As per Subramaniam's information, the forest officials visited the area and searched the area but couldn't find the armed robbers. "So, Subramaniam along with Mantha visited the Panvel Taluka police station to file a case," said a police officer.

The Panvel Taluka police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita, 2023. A senior official from Panvel Taluka police station said, "Such incidents are rare at the bird sanctuary. We are scrutinising CCTV footage and looking into technical details to identify the suspects," said a police officer.