A filmy fight, a threat: How Mumbai cops caught highway dacoit

All the four accused with the police team that cracked the case. Pic/Hanif Patel

A truckload of betel nut was looted on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway by three men in an SUV, on February 18 night. The trio abducted the driver and cleaner, and drove the truck to Hub Mall, offloaded the booty and took it to Mulund in another truck. At 4.15 am on February 19, they left the driver and the cleaner at the spot from where they looted the truck. The second truck was the one caught on Monday after a dramatic chase. An FIR was filed at Pelhar police station, and all units of Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar Police Crime Branch were activated. Police chief Sadanand Date formed multiple teams, headed by DCP (crime) Dr Mahesh Patil. Inspectors Rahul Rakh, Aviraj Kurade, Sahuraj Ranavare, Pramod Badakh and their teams were given tasks. Officers scanned hundreds of CCTV camera footage and traced them to Mulund. On Tuesday, PSI Pushpraj Surve and his team reached Mulund and saw a godown, and a group of people. Text/Diwakar Sharma. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

The police team at Mulund also noticed a Skoda Superb parked right behind the godown. The officers started to conduct a recce of the spot, but that alarmed the men who were sitting near the small nearby. Sensing threat, Police Sub-Inspector Surve called his seniors for reinforcement. Since all Crime Branch officers were busy with their respective investigations, Sub-Inspector Sanil Patil and his team from Pelhar police station rushed to the Mulund site for backup. Noticing the increasing number of police officers in plain clothes, the robbers got spooked. One of them jumped into a huge drain and managed to escape, while the others tried to run away and flee. But the officers caught them immediately. Meanwhile, PSI Patil opened the door of the small room near the godown, and saw a heavy-weight man inside.

Patil identified him as Siddharth Janmejay alias Siddhu, a hardened highway dacoit involved in many serious cases. He trained his revolver at Siddhu and asked him to surrender. But, he pushed him away and shut the door. Patil kicked the door and asked him to surrender again.

Siddhu started to flee, but other cops jumped on him. Siddhu, who weighs about 150 kg, fell down, but threw all the six cops away. After another struggle, constable Pratap Pachunde jumped onto Siddhu's neck while his colleagues nabbed him tightly. Patil arrived at the scene and asked him to surrender. But Siddhu was wrestling to escape. When Patil realised he won't give up, he hit him on his head with the butt of his revolver. As Patil's finger was on the trigger, the revolver fired in the air.

Patil placed his gun on Siddhu's temple and told him if he doesn't surrender he will kill him on the spot. "Ok ok, I surrender….surrender," he murmured, while his hands and legs were tied with ropes.