Maharashtra: Palghar police foil dacoity plan by arresting 12 persons

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The Palghar district police in Maharashtra arrested 12 persons who were allegedly planning to loot an ATM centre, an official said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.

Those arrested hailed from Palghar, Thane and Mumbai districts, district rural police chief Balasaheb Patil said, according to the PTI.

A police patrolling team spotted some persons moving in a suspicious manner near an ATM centre at Navli Phata around 3.30 am on Tuesday, he said.

The team called for additional force and rounded up the suspects, Patil added.

The gang was planning to loot the ATM centre among other things, he said.

A sickle, iron knife, three metal cutters, a spanner, cutter for extracting screws, nylon rope and a packet of chilli powder were seized from their possession besides a pick-up van and tempo, all valued at Rs 8,56,600 in total, the official said.

An offence under IPC sections 399 (making preparation to commit dacoity)and 402 (assembling for purpose of committing dacoity) and also the Arms Act was registered against the arrested men.

Further probe was on.

Meanwhile in an another incident, as many as 11 persons including a few employees of the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai have been arrested for allegedly referring cancer patients to private laboratories for commission, police said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.

The hospital, which comes under the purview of the Department of Atomic Energy, is known for advanced cancer treatment and research and gets patients from across the country.

Some employees asked the patients to get diagnostic scans done at private imaging centres and laboratories, telling them that there was a long waiting period for scans in the hospital, said a police official.

The accused included an assistant administrative officer, wardboy, aaya, servant and cleaning staff.

They allegedly received commission from the private labs whose rates are higher than those at the hospital, a Mumbai Police official said.

Based on a complaint filed by a hospital official, a First Information Report was registered against 21 persons including an employee of a private laboratory on July 16 at Bhoiwada police station and 11 persons were arrested. Further probe is on.

(with PTI inputs)