They strike when it is raining heavily and around the opening time of banks ufffd police suspect the hand of the same gang behind the three bank jobs since June
They strike when it is raining heavily and around the opening time of banks ufffd police suspect the hand of the same gang behind the three bank jobs since Juneu00a0
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The erratic shower in the city on Monday became an ideal setting for another bank robbery in a span of five months. Around 9 am, three masked men got into the Saraswat Bank branch at Charkop and escaped after looting Rs 20 lakh, while it poured heavily at the bank's opening hour. 
LootedPolice investigate the Saraswat Bank's Rs 20 lakh robbery at
Charkop branch yesterday. pic/shiva devnath
This is the third bank robbery since June. The police now suspect that the same gang may be behind all three capers as a peculiar pattern has been employed for the robberies (see box).
"The investigations of both Malad and Borivli bank robberies have revealed that the same gang may be behind the robberies, as they have the same modus operandi," said Additional Commissioner of Police (north region), Ramrao Pawar.
The police even have a suspect, a notorious robber by the name of Ramesh Upadhyay who operated similarly with his gang. A police source said, "Ramesh Upadhyay and accomplice Ashok Jigne used to operate in a similar way. They struck during rains and at opening time of banks." While Jigne was killed in an encounter, Upadhyay is absconding.
Police officials are guessing that Upadhyay is behind these robberies, and that he hires different gang members from UP and Bihar to pull off different bank jobs. The speculation comes as the Malad heist involved four people, the Borivli one had five, while Monday's robbery had three gang members.
After the earlier two robberies, policemen in civilian attire had been deployed in Malad, Charkop and Kandivli, but they haven't been seen in their full strength lately. The force has been diverted toward the security arrangement for Navratri celebrations. "We had deployed our men but many had to be reassigned for the Navratri festival security. But we will soon crack down on the gang and arrest the robbers," said Pawar.u00a0
| Robberies before |
| August 30: A gang of five armed robbers stormed an HDFC Bank branch at SV Road in Borivli (West) at about 9.30 in the morning, and made off with Rs 27.5 lakh. |
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