Officials from Crime Branch (Unit III) arrested a gang of four dacoits, alleged of committing three robberies in Baner, Sangvi and Punawale in the wee hours of March 6, on Tuesday afternoon
Officials from Crime Branch (Unit III) arrested a gang of four dacoits, alleged of committing three robberies in Baner, Sangvi and Punawale in the wee hours of March 6, on Tuesday afternoon.
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In police net: All five (above, right) were arrested by officials of the Crime Branch (Unit III) on Tuesday; (right) the gold ornaments the cops recovered. Pics/Mohan Patil
The accused were identified as Sonu Kapursingh Tak (19), a resident of Hadapsar, Nikhil Sunil More (24) of Manjari, Pandurang Kisan Chowgule (23) and Prashant alias Ratan Gautaam Mohire (26) from Kamshet.
A car, four knives, 240 grams of gold, 10 mobile phones — collectively worth Rs 8.34 lakh – was confiscated from the quartet, said an official. However, one of their accomplices Bablusingh Tak, is on the run.
The gang had targeted Crystal Garden society in Baner, Arunai society in Sangvi and Maika Classic society in Punawale in the wee hours of March 6. They threatened flat owners with sharp weapons before fleeing with the booty in a stolen car.
Nabbed
While Tak was nabbed from Nanded, More was held in Khadki. Chowgule and Mohire were picked up from Osmanabad on Tuesday afternoon by the team lead by Inspector Sunil Pawar. Officials also arrested 42-year-old jeweller Lalmani Fekuram Soni, from Kondhwa Khurd, on charges of purchasing stolen ornaments from the gang. He was arrested on Tuesday night.
During interrogation, Tak revealed the gang had had struck at several locations in Nerul, Kharghar, Kalamboli and Manpada, on the outskirts of Mumbai. Tak is a history-sheeter and has several cases of robberies and break-ins registered against him at the Hadapsar police station. While Mohir has cases against him at Khadki, Chatuhshrungi, Nigdi and Sangvi police stations.
Cops speak
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shahaji Solunke said, “All the security guards posted at residential societies and complexes will be provided with numbers of nearest police station and police control rooms. This will help in getting quick information about crimes and movements of criminals.” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Jayant Naiknavare confirmed Solunke’s statement.